RFA: Heart Gallery Development and Expansion (Regions 4 & 8)

Strengthening positive permanency across Texas through the development and expansion of Heart Gallery programs. 

The Texas Center for Child and Family Studies (the Center) is partnering with the Center for Societal Impact (CSI) and The Texas Institute for Child & Family Wellbeing (TXICFW) at the University of Texas Austin Steve Hick’s School of Social Work in the statewide expansion of Heart Gallery programs across the state.

The Heart Galleries of Texas project is focused on strengthening Heart Gallery programs as tools for positive permanency in communities by developing strong and thriving local Heart Galleries that serve communities across Texas to increase the number of children and youth in positive and permanent placements. The project received funding in the 88th Legislative Session to expand the Heart Gallery programs to all 11 DFPS regions in Texas. This allows the project to expand adoption efforts statewide to generate better outcomes for the hardest cases, finding homes for teens, sibling groups, and children with special healthcare needs.

The first stage of the project includes the release of a phased request for applications (RFA) that will identify a lead organization in each DFPS region of the state. Selected organizations will receive 2-year grants through the Heart Galleries of Texas project.  We have released the third RFA round of the project, the Center is currently seeking applications to develop and establish or expand and operate regional Heart Gallery programs in DFPS Regions 4 & 8.

Applications for regions 4 & 8 are due by October 30th, 2023. The RFAs for regions 3, 6, 7, 9, 10 & 11 has closed; applications for regions 1, 2 & 5 are also open and due November 15, 2023. Information will be forthcoming and we will be sure to keep this page updated.