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EDEN — Ann and William Artis  have been foster parents for many children, but two sisters they raised for a couple of years have a special place in their hearts.

The girls were placed in their home when they were young, just 5 months  and 5 years old.  Ann Artis had always wanted a daughter, so it hurt when it came time for the girls to leave. “Once you make a bond like that, it takes a while for it to be broken,” she said.

That bond has never actually been broken. The Artises say they have kept in touch with the sisters, as well as other children they have opened up their home to as licensed foster parents with the Department of Social Services.

The department is hoping to attract more foster parents like the Artises. Next month, it will offer a course for families interested in adoption or foster care. The 30-hour  course, offered twice a year, covers such topics as helping children manage their behavior and understanding the impact of fostering and adopting. It is mandatory for anyone who wants to become a foster parent.

Diane Hudgins,  supervisor  for the county’s foster care and adoption program, said there are 38  families on the county’s foster parent list. But more are always needed, she said.

“We have approximately 100  children (in foster care) right now,” Hudgins said. “That’s kind of been the average for the past two years.”

Foster parents can be married or single, but must meet several qualifications. They have to undergo a criminal background check and physical exam, possess a high school diploma or GED and provide verification of stable income, Hudgins said.

Some families, like the Artises, have cared for multiple children in their home.

Ann Artis, a retired teaching assistant, said she was looking for something to occupy her time when she read in a local newspaper about the county’s need for foster families. “This is up our alley,” she told her husband.

In four years, the Artises say they have fostered nine children, including a boy they recently adopted.

Anthony Leon Neal  came to the Artis home when he was 10  years old.

Though he was shy, Ann Artis said his potential was evident. Anthony was well-behaved and an “A” student when the Artises took him in, his mother said.

“He’s real intelligent,” she said. “He’s capable of a lot of stuff, but he needs that push.”

Anthony, now 15,  has assimilated well into the family. He gets along with the Artises’ biological son, 16-year-old  A.J.,  and Ann Artis said the two boys help with the younger foster children, including a 2-year-old girl  the Artises have been caring for since May.

Michelle Bowman  of Eden said she, too, may be on the adoption track. She is now fostering her second child, a 2-year-old  boy who has been living with her for eight  months.

A desire to give back to the community and a sense of empathy drove Bowman to become a foster parent. She lost her father at a young age, and her mother raised her and her brothers alone.

“We just didn’t have a lot, and we made do with what we had,” said Bowman, who has no children of her own.

Bowman describes her foster son as an extrovert. When he visits the assisted living facility where she works, he quickly charms the residents — and comes away with a couple of stuffed animals.

“He can walk in a room and win the room over in about three and a half minutes,” she said.  

The two children she’s raised didn’t have a lot of structure in their lives, and Bowman said it’s been hard getting them to follow a routine.

But the appreciation they show for a little love and attention is worth it all.

“It’s been challenging, but it’s been rewarding,” she said. “The kids, in their own way, give back what you give them.”

Contact Jonnelle Davis at 627-4881, Ext. 126, or jonnelle.davis@news-record.com.