This helps connect children to caring families and community networks. Utilizing the model put forth by the Central Texas region and funding from the State Legislature, the Heart Galleries of Texas have expanded statewide, with 11 regional offices all working toward child permanency.
The Heart Galleries of Texas is a collaboration between the Moritz Center for Societal Impact at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at The University of Texas at Austin, the Texas Alliance of Child and Family Services, and the Texas Institute for Child & Family Wellbeing, also within the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at UT Austin. The Moritz Center provides a home for the Heart Galleries of Texas and manages external communications and relationships. Key partnerships that support the Heart Galleries of Texas include the Department of Family and Protective Services, Texas Women’s Commission, the Texas Office of the Speaker, and the State of Texas Office of the First Lady.
The Texas Center for Child and Family Studies (“the Center”), a non-profit supporting organization of the Texas Alliance of Child and Family Services, is a key partner in the Heart Galleries of Texas. The Center conducted initial research about post-permanency needs and housed the Heart Galleries of Texas Director position prior to the program receiving legislative funding. The Center now houses the position for the Heart Galleries of Texas Associate Director, who manages post-permanency funds and post-permanency efforts across the state. Texas Institute for Child & Family Wellbeing (“TXICFW”), a research and capacity-building institute located within the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at The University of Texas at Austin, manages many aspects of this valuable initiative. At TXICFW Kori Gough, Heart Galleries of Texas Program Director, supports local Heart Gallery programs, and her training and technical assistance and operations and communication support teams provide resources to Heart Gallery programs, caregivers, and professionals.
