Here’s a stat that’s startling to any parent: at any given time, there are nearly 500,000 American children in the foster care system. Whether they’re waiting to be reunited with their biological family or looking to be adopted, kids in out-of-home care need stable, loving care from a nurturing adult. This month, hundreds of events are taking place across the nation to honor foster parents, raise awareness about the foster care system, and engage caring adults to change a child’s life by becoming a foster parent. To learn more about the National Foster Care Month campaign and how you can help, visit fostercaremonth.org.

-Marygrace, KIWI staff writer

If you’re in the Philadelphia area, help Heart Gallery Philadelphia promote adoption awareness on June 20th with its Fourth Annual Gala exhibit. On display at the Please Touch Museum during the month of July, the exhibit features portraits of 30 foster children awaiting adoption in the Philadelphia area. The Heart Gallery seeks for the exhibit to raise awareness for the need of adoptive families through providing a face and voice to some of the children in the area looking for their “forever family.”

To learn more, visit heartgalleryphiladelphia.org.

-Marygrace, KIWI Staff Writer