If you have ever considered becoming a foster parent, please be sure to attend Tuesday night’s informational meeting at the Dallas County Department of Human Resources office.

For those who have an empty space in their homes they would like to fill with a child, there could be no better Valentine’s Day gift than becoming a foster parent.

It takes a special kind of person to provide the care and assurance these children need. Many come from tough situations and just want someone to love them and tell them everything is going to be okay. Foster parents have a wonderful chance to make a difference in a child’s life, because they can give them hope. They can show the children there are people who care and offer a much brighter outlook on life.

These children might only need a home for a few days, a few weeks or even a few months. But even in that short period of time, foster parents can have a positive impact.

If you are interested in becoming a foster parent, please also keep in mind that older children placed in foster care need an encouraging voice just as much as their younger counterparts.

Foster parents don’t always know when their phone will ring. The arrival of foster parents isn’t always planned.

But those who participate are always ready, willing and able to answer the call. For that, they are heroes.