Iowa Woman Who Fostered More Than 600 Children Says She Loved Them All ‘Like They Were My Own’

An Iowan mom was recognized last Friday by the Johnson County Board of Supervisors, Department of Human Services and a room packed to the brim with family and friends to recognize her nearly 5 decades of being a foster mom.

Linda Faye Herring and her husband starting as foster parents in their early 20's in Oxford, Iowa. Linda's best friend was fostering high school girls, and was inspired. She wanted children of her own, so she worked out a deal with the state to take children with medical needs.

While a foster mom, she ran a daycare during the day, worked as a night custodian, and was a volunteer first responder for as long as she was a foster mom. Linda is known by everyone in Johnson County to never turn away anyone in need.

Linda has 8 children total, 5 of her own and 3 adopted children, and a revolving door of children of various ages, races and sizes:

Anthony was assigned to the couple at 6 months old, and was adopted at age 3.

Dani is fully dependent on others for care, as she has medical and special accommodations. She wasn't expected to live long after birth, but she is now 29 years old. The other child, whose name was not mentioned, also needs medical and special attention.

When asked what inspired her to foster so many children, Linda, in an interview with CNN, said "I would just love just like they were my own, probably more than I should."

She keeps memories of every child in her care, and even has stories like when the DHS called her in the middle of the night to take three children who had been found abandoned by their parents.

Linda said one of her favorite moments in the process is years later when the children come back to visit her.