Every day there are roughly 100 children in the state of Rhode Island in need of foster parents. Denise Gibbs is one woman who answers the call.

"I'm a single parent of grown children, and I still have a lot of love in my heart," says Gibbs.

That much is evident—Gibbs is friendly and open, and her sun-filled apartment in a tidy East Providence neighborhood sparkles with the voices of children playing happily. Currently foster parenting a pair of young siblings, the trio is rounded out by Gibbs' own grandson, who she watches summer weekdays.

Only licensed for a year, Gibbs has already had two other foster children come through her home, one for 3 weeks, the other for 9 months; both of whom have been successfully reunited with their birth families.

Despite the fact that family reunification is the ideal outcome in situations where children need to be removed from the home for a period of time, it can be bittersweet for the foster families, who naturally develop a bond with the children they are fostering. "I do get attached," says Gibbs. "But they have a parent and they need to go home. That's the best place for them." Gibbs has been able to maintain contact with the families, which she feels has helped ease the transition for everyone involved.

There is no "typical" foster child, or foster family, for that matter. Every situation is different, from the family structure to the physical and emotional needs of the child. The group with which Gibbs is affiliated is a nonprofit placement agency called Family Service of Rhode Island, and it is one if several private agencies that place children through the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF).

According to Greg Wright of Family Service of Rhode Island, all families are welcome to apply to foster, whether single, married, or LGBTQ. "We take pride in all families," says Wright, and they actively welcome anyone who is interested in learning more about fostering. The group offers a tremendous amount of support to foster families, with weekly home visits for both families and children, and allowances for clothing, food, housing; even child care, which enables working parents to foster as well.

The physical and emotional health of the children needing placement, like all children, runs the gamut; and teenagers represent about 75 percent of the total. "It's a misconception that older foster children have more behavioral issues," says Wright, telling of a child under their care who is turning 18 and heading off to college, a success story. One of Gibbs' young charges has some unique health concerns that require her to take him to the doctor more often than a typically developing child might have to go, but for Gibbs, that just comes with the territory. "It's a challenge, but you're helping a child," she says. "And I'm in it for the long haul."

The need is great. Family Service of Rhode Island has a waiting list of children needing loving homes, and they hold regular informational open houses. But you don't need to wait for one—if you, or someone you know, have ever considered fostering and would like more information about the process, please contact Greg Wright at 401/331-1350, or visit www.familyserviceri.org.

"I love being a foster mom," says Gibbs. "If people are thinking about it, stop thinking and just do it. There are a lot of children in need, and a lot of people out there who could do something about it.

"Yes, the commitment is huge. But the rewards are bigger."