McLane Children's Medical Center saw nearly 900 cases of child abuse last year alone.
For each of those cases, Child Protective Services are notified to help those children be placed into foster homes.
But Central Texas is seriously lacking in the number of foster homes available.
Nancy Lechuga welcomes many people into her home, especially children who have no where else to go.
"Eleven years ago, my husband and I, we actually took on a sibling group of three," Lechuga said.
By taking in those three children, Lechuga became a foster mother for the first time.
"It's a hard role to play when you see these kids devastated and hurt and broken, and it breaks your heart, you know, when they can't sleep at night," Lechuga added.
If it weren't for foster parents like the Lechugas, foster children could be left to heal from child abuse without the feeling of family. Unfortunately, Central Texas has an abundance of children in need of temporary homes.
"I do know that we have so little that often times siblings are separated and they're taken to other counties," Kayla Cehand, the Trauma Coordinator for McLane Children's, said.
So, the more foster homes Central Texas can have, the better.
"This is the most beautiful gift you could give someone.. to take in a child and show them love, and you will get it ten times back," Lechuga said.
McLane Children's Medical Center is hosting a free Foster Care Conference on Friday to provide current and new foster parents support and information.
The conference will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Temple College.
For current foster parents, the conference will serve as five of the 10 required education hours foster parents must have each year.
If you are interested in becoming a foster parent, you can visit any Department of Texas of Family and Protective Services office or their website for more information.
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