The Indiana Heart Gallery, a traveling exhibit featuring compelling portraits of children in need of adoptive families, has been selected as the “Community Organization of the Game” for the June 29 TinCaps baseball game in Ft. Wayne. The Gallery will be on display during the home game at Parkview Field. In addition, an adoptive family will throw out the ceremonial first pitch, videos on foster adoption will be played during the game, and additional announcements will be made throughout about the Heart Gallery. An Adoption Champion and Department of Child Services (DCS) staff will also be on-site to give information on Indiana’s adoption procedures, answer questions, and offer resources.
“This is a great opportunity for families to enjoy the game, learn more about the Indiana Heart Gallery and children in need of adoptive families, and get answers from adoption professionals,” said Sandra Caesar, DCS’ adoption manager.
The Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) uses the Heart Gallery’s remarkable professional portraits and stories about foster children in Indiana to help put a face on a sometimes invisible need and remind families that adoption can change lives.
Nationally, nearly 400,000 children are in foster care in the United States. More than 100,000 are legally available for adoption and in need of adoptive families. Many of these children are older, in sibling groups that want to be adopted together or have special medical needs. For some foster kids, getting adopted can mean the difference between homelessness or incarceration and transitioning successfully to adulthood.
“Community Organization of the Game” at TinCaps Games
http://www.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t584 <http://www.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t584>
Parkview Field
1301 Ewing St., Ft. Wayne, Indiana
Viewing Time: 7:05pm – Until the end of game
Additional Adoption Links and Information
· For more information about the Indiana Heart Gallery, go to http://www.in.gov/dcs/3033.htm
· To find out more about adopting an Indiana child, go to www.adoptachild.in.gov or call 888.25ADOPT.
· To view Indiana youth up for adoption: http://www.adoptuskids.org/states/in/browse.aspx
