Gov. Matt Blunt in proclaiming November Adoption Awareness Month is hoping to highlight the 2008 Missouri Adoption Heart Gallery that this year helped secure 61 Missouri children potential homes out of a pool of approximately 1500 Missouri children in the foster care system without permanent loving homes. He and First Lady Melanie Blunt helped open the inaugural Heart Gallery in 2006 and have continued their strong support of the program.

The 2008 Heart Gallery is a traveling photo display featuring photos and brief biographies of 238 children. It was displayed in 16 cities across the state from May through October.

Sponsored by the Department of Social Service's Children's Division and The Adoption Exchange-Missouri, the heart gallery included photos donated by professional photographers from across the state that captured each child's personality and interests.

"Every child wants to be part of a family," Blunt said. "We created the Heart Gallery to help find loving homes for foster children. I ask every Missourian to consider what they can do to help our foster children find stable, loving homes that will enable them to live full, happy lives."

Blunt also formed a blue ribbon task force to assess and tackle the critical and unique needs of young Missourians coming of age in the state's care as foster children. The group is working to evaluate public and private resources available to support young Missourians in foster care as they approach age 18 and will recommend ways to improve and strengthen coordination, communication and collaboration among state agencies and private organizations. The governor's goal for the blue ribbon task force is to maximize the use of resources to support young Missourians and their transition to successful adult roles and responsibilities.

For more information about adoption in Missouri visit here.

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