Each year, thousands of children in Texas grow up in foster care without ever finding a permanent home. In 2024, 860 young people aged out of the foster care system, transitioning to adulthood without the stability of a family.
The Heart Galleries of Texas (https://HGTX.org) is changing that story. Once a small initiative built on the simple power of photography and storytelling, the Heart Gallery has grown into a statewide movement with a bold vision: to ensure every child in Texas has the opportunity to grow up in a loving, permanent family. Through the use of professional photo exhibits, Heart Galleries offer children in the foster care system a chance to tell their story, their way. At the Moritz Center, we are honored to help facilitate the ongoing work being done by this innovative program.
Heart galleries are more than just photo exhibits- they are a public invitation to see the humanity, hopes, and dreams of children waiting to be adopted. By capturing the individuality and spirit of each child, the galleries bridge the gap between potential families and the youth who need them most.
With $24 million in funding from the 88th and 89th Texas Legislature, the heart galleries model is now scaling across the state for a second consecutive biennium. In the first cycle of funding, regional heart galleries were established across Texas, bringing these powerful visual stories to communities large and small. This new phase of funding expands the focus beyond awareness to sustaining success—by investing in post-adoption supports for families, ensuring long-term stability and well-being. These include things like after school care, specialized therapies, and parent trainings.
This expansion could not have happened without the Texas Institute for Child and Family Wellbeing (TXICFW) at UT Austin. Their expertise in data-informed evaluation, trauma-informed care, and family support has helped shape the heart galleries approach to systemic and sustainable impact. Another crucial partner in the work has been the Texas Alliance for Child and Family Services. Their vision, network, and coordination have been instrumental in making the heart galleries a shared platform for hope and belonging.
And the results are already tangible, from July 2024-June 2025:
- 87 youth were featured on Heart Gallery websites in 2024
- 1,7896 public exhibits brought these children’s stories into local communities\
- 305 children youth removed from the Heart Gallery due to placement
- 97,204 people attended outreach events, with over 1 million clicks on regional websites
And from January 2025- June 2025:
- 788 families received basic or emergency assistance
- 1,537 clients received mental health services
- 2,311 attended in family bonding activities, events, or camps
But the heart galleries power isn’t just in the numbers—it’s in the movement. With partners including the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, the Governor’s Commission for Women, First Lady Cecilia Abbott, and the Texas Alliance for Child and Family Services, the Heart Gallery is helping to shift how Texas supports children in care: from temporary placements to permanent, supported homes.
At the Moritz Center, we’re proud to support this kind of systems-level change: where storytelling meets policy, where research guides strategy, and where visibility becomes a vehicle for justice. If you’d like to learn more, please visit the Heart Galleries of Texas website to see how you can get involved in your community: https://HGTX.org.
