When Jacob and Vanessa Barnett were told they couldn’t have children six years ago, they decided to adopt.

After looking into several options, a parent of one of Vanessa’s preschool students mentioned the foster care program at the Limestone County Department of Human Resources.

“When we went into the program, we were adamant we weren’t going to foster, we just wanted to adopt,” Vanessa said. “But after we went through the classes, our eyes were opened to this world that is right under our noses but nobody sees.”

The classes Vanessa and her husband attended are offered though the Limestone County DHR twice a year. Completion of the 10-week course is required to become a certified foster parent. The next series of classes begins soon. Before potential foster parents commit to this required 10-week course, Tracy Miller, director of the Limestone County DHR, encourages them to attend a foster parent orientation from 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 28, at the DHR building at 1007 W. Market St. in Athens.

The county currently has approximately 95 children in the system and only 35 certified foster homes to care for them.

“We never have enough foster parents,” Miller said. “Especially for our large sibling groups that we try very hard not to split up. We are always looking for qualified, caring foster parents to come on board.”

In addition to filling out an application and submitting to both state and federal background checks, potential foster parents must attend all 10 of the training sessions, which begin Sept. 4.

“The classes are very important,” said Vanessa, who has adopted two children and fostered five since becoming a foster parent two years ago. “It was instrumental in helping us understand what we were getting into and it helped us know how to deal with some of the things we’ve encountered. If you are thinking about becoming a foster parent at all, you’ll know by the end of the course. For us, we saw these kids’ stories and what they went through and realized we wanted to help anyway we could.”

Vanessa has decided to leave her job as a special education preschool teacher so she can devote more time to her adopted children and the many more foster children the couple plans to welcome into their home.

For more information about the county’s foster care program or to sign up for the upcoming orientation, call Haquoia Doss at 256-216-6415.