For untold thousands of abandoned or orphaned children, salvation lies in adoption or foster care. Among those who try to find families for these children is a most unlikely outfit: a J.C. Penney store. Last March in New Orleans, for the sixth year, the store made available an unorthodox forum to bring kids and prospective parents together.
Joined this year by a second Penney's outlet, the store invited the state's department of social services to select children who were willing and able to take a gamble. They were brought to the stores, decked out in the latest spring fashions, given tips...