Heart’s Desire

In the sparsely populated state of New Mexico, the Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) places about three thousand children in foster care each year. These children were taken from their parents after being neglected or abused. Babies and young children are often relatively easy taken in by an adoptive family, but due to their age and background, these children are considered less desirable. An unorthodox but effective solution was found to this problem: the HEART GALLERY. Professional glamour photographers portray the children at their very best. These pictures are exhibited in public places, such as hospitals and other areas that potential parents might frequent. A marketing trick to sell a ‘product’ and it works.

“These portraits touch an emotional level in people. That emotion starts a chain that allows unconditional love to develop eventually”, says HEART GALLERY founder Diane Granito. “When these prospective parents meet the children for the first time, the longing for a lifelong commitment is almost tangible.”  Director Hans Heijnen was present at several activities organized by this project. He met Derrick, Erika, Jannae and Eli, a few of the children who were adopted through HEART GALLERY. They tell about their heart wrenching past and the problems they experienced while they sought to be adopted. These children were filmed in their new families that, through a process of trial and error, have given them an outlook towards a positive future.