AUSTIN, Texas — Day after day, nearly one thousand children up for adoption in Central Texas wait and hope for a family to give them a forever home.
In June, KVUE partnered with Partnerships for Children and the Heart Gallery of Central Texas in hopes of making that a reality for as many kids as possible.
Since then, every week KVUE has given a child in the foster care system a platform to share their story – and the results are setting records.
On day one when a child's story aired, the Heart Gallery website was visited more than 10,000 times, an increase of 91% from the day before. That was the second most visits to their website since the Heart Gallery started monitoring it in January 2017.
Almost every time a story airs, the number of visitors to the Heart Gallery website skyrockets.
In addition, the day each of the other stories aired, the children's profiles were viewed anywhere between 220 to 3,000 times. In total, the stories generated 18 inquiries.
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Putting in an official inquiry about a child means a family is looking into adopting them.
"It has been a blast every step of the way getting to talk to these children and trying to bring excitement to their day, whether that is telling a funny joke or surprising them with a cool guest appearance," said KVUE's Tori Larned, who leads the segment.
Here's a refresher on the six children KVUE highlighted so far:
- AJ, the very first child on the segment, is intelligent and athletic. He is looking for a forever family that is supportive of his future.
- Paul and Isiah are the sweetest brothers around. They need a patient family who will support their special needs. They have to be adopted together.
- Khristian screams "Texas" with his cowboy boots, kindness and southern charm. He wants a family who is energetic and active.
- Hope is a young girl with an imagination that reaches beyond the stars. She belongs with a family who is kind, loving and understanding.
- Kaidyn is a humble teen with a big heart. He loves agriculture, but his real passion is helping others. One day he wants to become a paramedic. He deserves a family who will help him get there.
- Logan is loving, caring and easygoing and loves the country. When he grows up, he wants to be a surgeon. He hopes to find a supportive and stable family.
PHOTOS: Meet the kids of KVUE's Forever Families segment
While the Heart Gallery has not heard if any of the children have been adopted yet, our partners said the process may take some time. So, it could be a while before we hear those success stories or the story has not reached the right family yet. So, keep sharing!
To see more children looking for a forever family, visit the Heart Gallery of Central Texas.
Watch KVUE News Daybreak on Thursdays from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. or Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. to catch the latest segment.
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