May is national Foster Care Awareness Month, a time to rec­ognize the families and volun­teers who help children in foster care find permanent homes and connections.

As a foster parent, Collin County resident Cindy Wether­ington has played a key role in the lives of more than 10 children.

Wetherington said she feels called to be a foster parent and in turn, she is blessed by the experi­ence.

Her grandparents helped to operate an orphanage in Portu­gal. When she was 12, she visited Portugal and helped her grand­parents and it has stuck with her ever since.

“I fell in love with those kids,” Wetherington said. “It broke my heart that these kids didn’t have families. From that day, it planted that seed that I wanted to some day adopt.”

Wetherington began fostering in 2013 and has fostered off and on since then.

For the full story, see the May 27 issue or subscribe online.

By Dustin Butler • [email protected]