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TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - As a mom of three, Gloria Johnson of Tyler is no stranger to needing a babysitter. She’s especially keen of how important it was to have someone certified and reliable when she was a foster parent.

“I think it’s a ministry and I think if more people look at it as a ministry instead of this burden or this big thing that they need to do, but really just a way to give back to their community,” said Johnson. “Because I had been on the side of being a foster parent and utilizing approved babysitters. When we ended our journey with being foster parents I knew I wasn’t done with that community yet.”

With thousands of children in foster care across East Texas, the families who care for them required special assistance when they need an hour or two away from home. According to the non-profit organization The Fostering Collective, one-in-two foster families will quit after the first year because of a lack of support from their community. That’s why they provide an all-in-one training experience at a low cost for adults who are inspired to lend their time.

Johnson tells us the hardest part, is making the choice to sign up. “I think because maybe they’re just so unsure,” said Johnson. “They’re used to just being able to come over and love on kids that they already know -- for example, through church nursery or Sunday school or things like that. But it’s not that simple and I’d say you’d need to be approved... and they’d say, ‘well...’”

But for the families who care for these children around the clock, Johnson calls this type of certification invaluable.

“I knew how great the need was and how much I had been blessed by being able to call on these people.”

Fostering Collective training information.(Source: KLTV Staff)

The next babysitter training with The Fostering Collective is Tuesday, July 18 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The cost is $10 per participant. CPR certification is available prior to the training at 5:30 p.m. for a $50 fee.