LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kimberly Deman has been a foster parent for two years. She's cared for seven children in that time.
"When they say, 'We're going to have three meals today?' it's heartbreaking," she said. "When they've never had their own bed and they come in and say, 'This is my bed?' But to see a child thrive and be confident is so rewarding. I mean, it's tenfold. It really is."
Deman welcomed a 17-year-old girl into her home just days ago, and a 9-year-old boy has been with her for a year.
"You said that he has a bright future," WDRB's Jessica Bard said to Deman in an interview. "To be able to give him the stability in his life to help him reach his potential, how does that make you feel?"
"Ah, it is the best feeling in the whole world," Deman said. "He wants to be an engineer. He wants to build cars. He wants to build buildings. He has no idea; he just wants to be an engineer and he is so smart."
Not every child has opportunities they need to succeed. Experts with Omni Visions, like regional director Eric Morton, said 10,000 children are in foster care in Kentucky.
"Some years ago, there was right around 7,000," Morton said.
There are 1,200 foster children in Jefferson County alone.
"The number has spiked consistently month to month," Morton said. "It is an alarming rate."
Morton said the opioid crisis is to blame, which leads to increased rates of abuse, neglect and domestic violence.
"These kids are witnessing all of this stuff," he said.
"When they're pulled away from their mom and dad, their whole world is different," Deman added.
Morton said Jefferson County needs to double its number of foster homes to be able to care for the increasing number of children pouring into the system each day.
Keeping children close to home gives them more consistency, Morton said, and it increases the likelihood that siblings will stay together.
"You don't have to be perfect to be a foster parent," Deman said. "You have the ability to be a positive influence in children's lives, and it's so rewarding."
Community members can click here to learn more information on how to become a foster parent.
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