Photo exhibition displays children in need — of a family

What a disgrace-

Child Protection has become a busniess in America (scroll through this blog for proof of that)

These children are more than likely LOVED BY THIER NATURAL FAMILIES!

These children are more than likely BEING ADOPTED FOR FEDERAL FUNDING!

These children were probably ripped out of loving homes, while extended families begged for them to be placed with an aunt an uncle or a cousin.

These children are more than likely being SOLD they are NOT in need of a family they already have one!

Stop the "legal' kidnapping of our children please take a moment to sign this petition.

Federal Funding and Federal Laws Petition : [ powered by iPetitions.com ]

Photo exhibition displays children in need — of a familyBy Linda Stout

GROTON —

Compelling portraits of children line the walls of Groton Public Library this month.
These aren't your usual kids, nor are they models, though they could pass for that. They're children from Central New York who were waiting for adoption in 2006 when the photos were shot by professional photographers. The 25 children remaining in the exhibit are still among the 80 waiting for a family in the 14 counties in Central New York, including Tompkins, said Suzanne Colligan, an Adoption Specialist at the Syracuse Regional Office of the New York State Office of Children and Family Services.

"The children in the Heart Gallery are all freed for adoption and looking for permanent families,” said Judy Voorheis, a homefinder at Tompkins County Department of Social Services. Members of the Professional Photographer Society of Central New York volunteered their time, so these are not the usual quick shots against a wall taken by busy caseworkers, Colligan said. Although 51 children were photographed, some have been adopted or withdrawn from the exhibit for other reasons, leaving 25 in the Groton exhibition.

There's a picture of a teenage boy named Rayshawn. The photographer, Peggy Austin, a volunteer like all the other professional photographers who contributed to this show, wrote, “I wanted to bring him home with me. ... I pray that Rayshawn can have the chance to fulfill the life of a very special family.”

Colligan said the children decide along with their foster parents and counselors whether to sit for the photos.

In another photo, a thin boy named Cody B. smiles back in warm light. There's an obvious connection between the children and photographers.

Cody's photographer, Tim Roske, wrote in the narrative below the photo, “When we were done shooting, I let Cody try my camera. He looked like a pro when he photographed some staff people and friends, and the results rivaled some of the shots I took that day.”

Roske let a girl named Janice, who wanted to pose with a large teddy bear, help pick which shot would go in the exhibition. She wanted one of herself smiling.

Another girl pictured in the exhibit, Aleesa, communicated the seriousness of the mission to photographer Gail Haile, who initiated this project in Central New York.

Aleesa was photographed for the first Heart Gallery series in the region, the first in New York state, in 2004. The Heart Gallery, now a national phenomenon, began when New Mexico photographers came together in 2001 to document and draw attention to children waiting for adoption.

Another series of photos are being planned for a June release, and it will include some of the same children in previous exhibitions. Only a few more showings remain of the 2006 Heart Gallery exhibit that's at the Groton Public Library through the end of the month.

Haile wrote that Aleesa “still has hope that there is a family for her.”

“It's very humbling because you realize without them talking a lot, you realize how much these children have gone through in their lives and how resilient they are, thinking ‘there's still a family for me,' that they still had hope, the capacity of hope for a family. Other than that, they're everyday kids,” Haile said.

Colligan said that kids are serious about this project.

“A lot of them like to know we are doing something to try to help them rather than ignoring the fact that they are waiting for a family,” Colligan said.

These are children noted for passions for sports and the arts and for their warmth and humor in the photographers' narratives.

There's a set of siblings in the exhibit, Terrell and DesJenee, noted for their connection and playfulness with each other.

Many are teenagers, both African-American and white.

The photos are not just beautiful photos, but important in building awareness that there are kids waiting for adoption, many of them teenagers, Colligan said.

“It's a very emotional connection, to come face to face with these children,” Colligan said.

lstout@ithacajournal.com

Original Article- with pictures of these children.

The Ithaca Journal - www.theithacajournal.com - Ithaca, NY