(Katecey Harrell/ Tyler Morning Telegraph)

“One photo can change a life” is the slogan for the Heart Gallery program.

“The Heart Gallery is an opportunity for us to advocate for kids in foster care that are available for adoption,” said Justin Hayes, The Fostering Collective’s executive director. “We feel that one photo can change a life and can help families understand that these kids need families,”

The Fostering Collective, in collaboration with 4 Kids 4 Families, kicked off the East Texas branch of the program Aug. 20. The event featured speeches from notable figures such as Texas First Lady Cecilia Abbott and UT System Board of Regents Chairman Kevin Elfite.

Heart Gallery East Texas showcases captivating photo exhibits to connect communities with the faces, names,and stories of East Texas children who are least likely to be adopted. This initiative helps these children find love and belonging in forever families.

The Heart Gallery began at the state level, and this event is one of 11 launches across Texas.

Twelve years ago, Hayes and his wife, Christy, adopted two children from foster care, which revealed the broader challenges within the system. They recognized the need for support and found that churches, though called to care for orphans, were unaware of how to help.

This led to the creation of The Fostering Collective six years ago, which focuses on engaging the community and collaborating to provide families for these children. 4 Kids 4 Families is an agency that oversees the community based care for all of foster care in East Texas.

Businesses, churches and other organizations can host both temporary and permanent Heart Gallery displays and invite the Heart Gallery team to present and share more about the program.

“We are also adoptive parents, and I think we live and breathe because of our daughter. It’s just something that has changed our lives forever,” Abbott said. “In Texas, we really are one family, and we are called to care for each other, to look out for those who are in need. When communities work together to put our children first, we see amazing things happen.”

Jenny Kerr reflected on the Heart Gallery’s influence, saying, “It was the Heart Gallery many years ago that first made us consider adoption.” Liliana, who entered foster care at seven, found her forever family — the Kerrs — as a teenager.

“If there’s a kid out there that could be part of our family and have all of the fun that we have and do all of the things we do. Why wouldn’t we have them join us?” Kerr said in a video.

East Texas currently has over 1,000 children in foster care, but only about half of the needed foster families are available. While there are many people willing to foster or adopt babies, there is a greater need for those willing to take in teens and sibling groups.

The focus is on addressing this gap and encouraging more support for these older and larger sibling groups.

“There are children in our own backyards that need families, and because of a lack of foster families and a lack of adoptive families, a lot of these kids aren’t able to stay in their communities,” Hayes said. “We believe that we should take care of our own. We are calling out to our community to step up and help these children.”

Some individuals might be able to foster or adopt, while others may not. Nevertheless, everyone can find a way to support those families who are making this significant and challenging decision, Abbott said.

The Heart Gallery is a powerful and effective tool, she added. The pictures say a thousand words.

“This moment as we gather together, this can be a turning point toward a brighter future for yet another Texas child,” Abbott said.

It’s heartbreaking to think children like Liliana had a 1% chance of being adopted, Heart Gallery Manager Gillian Sheridan said. When collaborating and sharing these pictures and stories, the 1% chance of adoption increases to 60% for these children.

“Fourteen years ago, my husband and I adopted these two girls. This is Gwyneth, and this is Elizabeth, and these girls are the light of my life and the greatest blessing,” Sheridan said. “I truly believe that if we work together, that we can make a difference.”