Times are tough right now for the Tuscaloosa County Department of Human Resources, as they face an overabundance of children needing foster care.
Some of the kids are now being sent out of county as foster homes become overcrowded, so now Tuscaloosa DHR is asking for your help. "We know that most people think about either fostering or adopting for 18 months to two years before they even pick up the phone and call us, so we're constantly trying to put seeds out into the community of the need," said Gail Cornett of the Tuscaloosa DHR.
With that need so great, time is of the essence as the DHR searches for more families willing to answer the call. "My parents were foster parents since I was six months old, so I kind of grew up in a home full of children," said Amanda Holsomback, a foster parent with two of her own and three in foster care.
Holsomback now does as her parents did, welcoming kids in need into her home. She says though it can be a lot of work, it's worth what it means to the children. "Even when you think you don't have enough to give, if you've just got that love to give, that's all they really need is somebody to love them," Holsomback said.
That love can turn a temporary situation into a lifelong relationship for some families: "Many times foster parents adopt the children that they've been caring for," Cornett said.
If you're interested in learning more about fostering a child, you can call your county DHR office for more information.
In Tuscaloosa, you can call Gail Cornett at (205) 554-1153.
For more information about adoption or foster care in Alabama, you can go to the state DHR website:
