Join the Largest community adopting children from foster care
Heart Gallery
Adoption
Over 800 foster children in Florida need a loving forever family. If you are hoping to adopt a child from foster care, the Heart Gallery of Sarasota can help connect you with a child waiting for a loving and permanent home.
Inquire
Inquire by calling the recruitment line at 941-504-2135 or complete the online inquiry form. Someone will contact you within one business day and you will be provided information regarding the dates and times of the next informational meeting.
Participate
Participate in a training and selection class called Adoption Parent Training Class (APTC) and complete 24-hours of curriculum. APTC classes are provided free of charge and are currently being held at multiple sites on various days and times. Generally, you will attend APTC classes one night a week for ten weeks. You will learn more during orientation/informational meetings.
Orientation & Training
In your pursuit to become a licensed foster family or to adopt children out of foster care, you will need to successfully complete a 30 hour training curriculum, the Adoption Parent Training Class (APTC). APTC is a selection tool for the mutual use of your family and the your Community Based Care Agency to determine if fostering and adoption are right for your family.
Each class is led by a trained social worker who is accompanied by a licensed foster parent. Some topics you will cover in class:
- Recognizing and working with the loss and grief children experience when they are removed from their parents, regardless of the abuse or neglect they experienced at home.
- Identifying your family's strengths and skills to determine the appropriate matches for your home.
- Parenting techniques to support the special needs of children in foster care.
- For foster families, supporting the biological parents' attempts to reunify with their child(ren).
- For adoptive families, recognizing that birth-family connections are an integral part of a foster child's development.
Support Through the Adoption Process
A Family for Every Child offers support and assistance through the matching process. We would like to address some of the most common feelings an adoptive family can experience during the adoption process, how we can help, and provide adoptive families with resources on finding local support groups to help families work through their emotions. Allowing complicated emotions the space and love necessary to find resolution can help strengthen each individual family member and simultaneously help deepen their relationships.
- Frustration (Anger) - This process is time consuming and often presents potential parents with many difficulties. Our goal is to facilitate the efficient flow of information between potential families and waiting children. We are here to provide you with recruitment updates on children you have submitted for, in addition to free recruitment options to connect your family with searching caseworkers.
- Excitement - It's natural to get excited about a child or a sibling group you submitted for when you feel they would be a great match for your family. With over 2000 children listed on our site, we have a number of wonderful children that will be a great match for your family! Naturally, one can get excited about the potential new family member(s), but committees can change their decision for many reasons (in the best interest of the child) and disappointment can occur. Remain aware of your emotions and be prepared so as not to find yourself overwhelmed.
- Sadness - When disappointment happens it is understandable to feel sadness, but don't allow sadness stop you. Be persistent. Allow the strength of your emotions to fuel your motivation. Continue to submit your home study for children, no matter how frustrating or pointless it may seem. You never know when a child will be listed that is the one for you, so you don't want to miss out on an opportunity to find out.
Happiness – The happiness that comes from adoption is a unique and special kind of joy. It is important to hold onto and even re-feel this emotion during the trying times that come with raising any child. Check out the success story below and additional success stories
