The Placer Gallery of children and youth will hold an opening reception on Wednesday, March 19, 2008, at PlacerKids, 11990 Heritage Oak Place, Suite 3, in Auburn. The opening reception will be from 4 p.m. until 6:30 p.m.

The event is designed to increase public awareness about the need for permanency for youth, particularly youth between the ages of 11 and 18. The reception is also a recruitment event for adoptive families for older youth. The gallery has professional photos on display of several youth for whom PlacerKids is actively seeking permanent homes. There will also be a professionally developed DVD shown that highlighs interviews with several of these youth, and two families who have adopted older youth. 

PlacerKids staff will be available to provide information to community members, and individuals or families who may be interested in pursuing permanency for a youth. Each year, thousands of children age out of foster care around the country, and both the short-term and long-term outcomes for these children are not often positive. PlacerKids hopes to decrease the number of youth in Placer County who age out of foster care without a life long connection with a caring adult.

For more information, please contact PlacerKids, at 530-887-9982.

PlacerKids is a partnership between Placer County and Sierra Adoption Services. The partnership recruits and educates new foster and adoptive parents, and provides foster care licensing and adoptive home studies to families who are interested in opening their homes to children. The program also provides ongoing support for families to better deal with issues the children face in foster care and adoption.