Walking into the Buchanan County Courthouse, one might have sworn the tuxedo-clad man by the staircase was heartthrob actor Leonardo DiCaprio.

In reality, he was 19-year-old Frank Roberts of Smithville, Mo., promoting adoption awareness for the Missouri Adoption Heart Gallery.

Frank spent the start of his childhood in various foster homes, and by 7, he had become skeptical of ever having a stable family. That is, until Cindy and Lloyd Roberts, substitute teachers at the school where he attended kindergarten, showed interest and pursued adopting him. The couple went through foster care training and eventually received respite care of young Frank on the weekends. By the time he was 8, the adoption had been finalized.

"I guess I was in disbelief," Frank Roberts said. "I wondered if it was going to last."

Frank had been in at least three different foster homes before the Roberts adopted him. Ms. Roberts said she knew he'd be worried about being taken away.

"He wouldn't call us mom or dad until he knew for sure that we were here forever, until he felt a little more at ease," Ms. Roberts said.

In 1997, shortly after Frank was adopted, the movie "Titanic" starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson was released. Almost instantly, friends and family started noticing the resemblance Frank had with the actor.

"It's kind of fun," Frank Roberts said. "I'm just Frank, but I do look like a celebrity."

A recent graduate from Smithville High School, Frank has been embracing his resemblance to Mr. DiCaprio all summer. His looks landed him a job at the Titanic Museum in Branson, Mo., greeting guests on the ship's recreated grand staircase. He also found himself in the television spotlight.

Frank appeared on "Live with Regis and Kelly" to compete in a celebrity look-alike contest. He said it's his goal to open an orphanage for boys out in the country.

Frank participates in different adoption awareness activities such as the Heart Gallery, which will be at the Buchanan County Courthouse through today.

"I want to help other kids by letting people know that adopting older children is like having your own child except you've missed out on a part of their lives," Frank Roberts said. "They just need to be aware of where they came from, what they've been through and try to compensate for those missed times. Older kids can really be what they're looking for."

The Missouri Adoption Heart Gallery started in 2006 and is modeled after a similar program started in New Mexico. There are currently 188 portraits displaying more than 200 Missouri children touring in the gallery. This is the third year Buchanan County has hosted part of the tour.

"Every child deserves a home, and if I can help a child in some way, then it is very rewarding to me," adoption specialist Martha Brookshier said. "Unfortunately, some of the children will end up aging out of the system without ever finding their forever family."