In 2015, there were nearly 428,000 children in foster care in the U.S.

It’s easy to only see them as numbers when you aren’t faced with the harsh reality they experience every day. They just want to feel loved, wanted, and to become part of a family, but sadly, it often takes years for that to happen. In the meantime, these kids have to deal with being shuffled around between court and strangers’ homes with sometimes no end in sight.

One foster mom, Sarah, has been taking care of a 13-year-old boy along with her two biological children. She saw the heartbreaking truth about foster care when she and her husband researched adoption and foster-to-adoption options. “Once you see that need you can’t unsee it,” she told Scary Mommy. “You see the faces and hear the voices of children in your town needing safety and stability and love. And it starts consuming your thoughts.”

While recently attending a court hearing, she witnessed just how indifferent people can be towards foster children. That’s when she decided to share this powerful message about her own foster son.

(via Scary Mommy)

Being a foster parent is a big commitment, but here are a few other ways you can help make a difference in young people’s lives. Share if you think all foster kids deserve a loving home and to be treated with dignity and respect!