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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- A portrait gallery of children hoping to be adopted has made a visit to the Utah Capitol.
The Utah Heart Gallery is a collection of 24 portraits showing 35 children. The portraits, which were on display at the Capitol on Wednesday, were taken and donated by local photographers to raise awareness about adoption.
The gallery is presented by the Adoption Exchange, an agency that recruits families to adopt.
The portraits are a unique way to connect potential adoptive families with children in state foster care, said Kathy Searle, director of programs for the Adoption Exchange.
"The recruitment photos we used to use just didn't get inquiries," Searle said. "This gives the children more attention and makes them look like everyday kids, not just foster kids."
She said the portraits are special because many children up for adoption don't have a picture of themselves.
More than 200 of the children in foster care are waiting for a permanent home, said Elizabeth Sollis, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Human Services. She said that of the 117 children featured in the previous three portrait galleries, 62 have been adopted.
The gallery now begins a statewide tour.
Information from: Deseret News
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
