AUSTIN, Texas — Every week on KVUE, we feature a different child in the Texas foster care system, in hopes of helping them get adopted by a forever family.
A’aliyah, who goes by Denise, is a sweet and shy 13-year-old girl in middle school who is ready to find a loving and supportive family to help guide her.
Because Denise has an interest in photography, she got to spend the day shadowing local photographer Jon Vineyard at his studio, Porch Light Productions. He showed her how to confidently hold the camera, how to pose the subject and how to conduct a photoshoot.
“I like taking photos of everything – leaves, plants, family, my brother, my sister,” Denise said.
Denise said her brother and sister live somewhere else, but she wants to keep a relationship with them going forward.
Denise likes going to school to see her teachers and friends. She also likes listening to Beyoncé, fashion and wearing nice outfits. But she said more than anything, she wants a family to support her.
“Just spend quality time, going out and doing things, going out to dinner,” Denise said.
To learn more about Denise or to put in an inquiry to adopt her, visit her page on the Heart Gallery of Central Texas.
KVUE launched the Forever Families segment with Partnerships for Children (PFC) in June 2020 to highlight children in the Heart Gallery of Central Texas who need secure and permanent families. Every day, there are nearly 1,000 children waiting to get adopted in Central Texas, according to PFC.
PHOTOS | Forever Families: Meet Denise
Editor’s note: The children who are in the Heart Gallery program and featured in KVUE’s Forever Families segments are children who have had every effort made on their behalf to connect them with family or others in their community to provide options for permanent, adoptive homes. Through no fault of their own, that hasn’t happened yet, and so in partnership with the Department of Family and Protective Services, we collaborate to bring awareness to KVUE viewers about these children in the hopes of finding them permanency before they age out.