Mark Heifner displays a blanket that has a picture of him with his adoptive children, Thursday in South Bend. Heifner and his wife, of Angola, Ind., have adopted eight children since 1984 and have been the foster parents to many others since 1982. Tribune Photo/MICHAEL CATERINA
SOUTH BEND — Mark Heifner said that life provides each person with a window of opportunity to make a difference in the world.
Heifner, a resident of Angola, Ind., decided that being foster and adoptive parents would be the way that he and his wife would make a difference. And they have.
“We’ve adopted eight children, and my wife and Ihave fostered for 35 years,” Heifner said. “Our goal is to foster for 50 years.”
Heifner spoke to people interested in becoming foster and adoptive parents Thursday at HealthWorks! Children’s Museum. The event was sponsored by the Indiana Department of Child Services and the Indiana Heart Gallery. It included an exhibit by the Indiana Heart Gallery featuring the portraits and stories of children in need of adoptive parents. Officials hoped to raise awareness about the need for for more foster and adoptive parents in Indiana. November is National Adoption Month.
Heifner and his wife do not have biological children, but their foster and adoptive children have made their lives richer.
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