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Good foster parents really are some of the most under-appreciated people out there. And a woman from Iowa named Linda Herring might be one of the biggest unsung heroes of all. Over the past 50 years, Herring has fostered an incredible 600 kids. Now, the 75-year-old Herring has decided to retire after spending her entire life helping others.
Herring was recently recognized by The Board of Supervisors at the Department of Human Services in Iowa for her amazing service.
Herring ran a home daycare, took in an endless stream of foster kids, and worked nights as a custodian. She said she never took age or disabilities into account when accepting children into her home. “I would just love [my foster kids] just like they were my own, probably more than I should. I cried when the kids would leave my home, no matter how long they had been there.”
Herring first got the idea to help out kids when her best friend began providing shelter for teenage girls. She said, “My best friend was doing foster care for teenage girls and I thought, ‘Well, that would be nice to do the same,’ but I wanted little kids. So, I talked to the Department of Human Services and agreed to take kids with medical needs.”
Herring had five biological children, and she later adopted three of the kids who had been under her care. One of the children she adopted, Anthony Herring, said, “I appreciate being adopted even more today as a parent than I did when I was a child. I’m forever grateful for the life I was given. She and Dad have both taught me that family isn’t determined by blood — it’s who you have in your life to love.”
Hats off to Linda Herring. This is what real-life heroes look like.
