SW Lake Lifestyle: The Time to Adopt a Child Is Now

I discovered something a few years ago that is both interesting and sad. I’m a professional photographer who for 10 years for the State of Illinois photographed children awaiting adoption. The photos were displayed in “The Heart Gallery of Illinois” to increase their chance for adoption. As an adoptive mom with a home full of four children, our family’s plate was full, but I liked helping these waiting children find forever families. These are adorable children, so I figured that a beautiful photo would get the job done. Except something unexpected happened; time-after-time the state called me back to photograph the same child, sometimes up to three years later. Children weren’t getting adopted.

Before I formed my family, I worked in human resources for law firms in Los Angeles and Chicago. Recruiting and hiring people was my specialty. I was a matchmaker. When a lawyer needed a special person for a particular job, I could find them.

The more I delved into the challenge of finding adoptive families for children, the more I learned that it takes more than a great photo to help a child find a forever family. I considered creating a matchmaking machine…