GUELPH, ON--(Marketwire - Sep 20, 2012) - The Adoption Council of Canada, in partnership with Family & Children Services of Guelph and Wellington County and Dean Palmer Photography, is launching an innovative program to find homes for children and youth in foster care who need permanent families.

The Heart Gallery Guelph Wellington is a travelling exhibit of professional photographs of children and youth who are waiting for permanent families. 

The Heart Gallery's mission is to use the power of photography to capture the individuality and dignity of waiting children, to raise public awareness about their needs, to obtain support to meet those needs, and to find permanent homes for them.

Please help us find homes for the children and youth in our gallery and the children and youth waiting for permanent families here in Guelph by publicizing this event and the gallery. Our children deserve lifelong families. We would also like to encourage local business owners, curators or managers of public buildings to contact us if they would be willing to host the gallery within their offices or buildings.

We have 30,000 children and youth in Canada who need permanent families -- 9,200 in Ontario alone. In the Guelph and Wellington County there are more than 80 children in need of a permanent family.

Heart Gallery Guelph Wellington is being launched in the Atrium of the River Run Centre on Wednesday, October 24^th from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The launch will feature a panel of former and current youth in care. They will talk about what it's like to be in foster care and why it's important to find families for children and youth of all ages. As space is limited, attendance is by invitation and RSVP is mandatory. For more information contact:

Colleen Reardon at colleen.reardon@fcsgw.org or 519-824-2410 ext. 4112

Daniel Moore, Executive Director of Family & Children Services of Guelph and Wellington County, says: "Adoption provides a lifetime of benefits for children and youth including the emotional security of caring adults and a committed family to ensure that their needs are met."

"We believe that every child, youth, sibling group regardless of age(s), unique need(s) or length of time in foster care, has a right to a permanent, legal connection to a caring family. The Heart Gallery is a powerful tool in ensuring that this belief becomes a reality," adds Sarah Pedersen, executive director of the Adoption Council of Canada.

Together, we will find permanent families for waiting children in foster care in Guelph Wellington. This is a crucial step in expanding the face of adoption in our community, and eventually, across the country.

Heart Gallery Guelph Wellington is made possible through the following support:            

Jockey Being Family: www.jockeybeingfamily.com
The Co-operators: www.cooperators.ca  
Dean Palmer Photography: www.deanpalmer.ca
Platters Catering and Events: www.platterscatering.ca