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Alex Cabrero reporting Children are usually the innocent victims in cases like the drug bust in Salt Lake Friday.
Most of the time, the children are placed in protective custody. That means another family will watch them temporarily.
Currently in Salt Lake County, there are only 39 foster families. But the Division of Youth Services averages about 45 children a month having to be placed in custody.
We chatted with one family, who would take them all if they could.
Dianne Madsen, Foster Mother: "This is where I store all my clothes."
With all the baby stuff in Dianne Madsens house, you'd think she has more children than she can handle.
Dianne Madsen, Foster Mother: "I love kids, and we have a big family, and I always wanted even more."
As if nine weren't enough.
Dianne Madsen, Foster Mother: "I've got my diapers and bins and formula."
But all these items aren't for her own children. They're for the children who probably wouldn't get them in their own home.
Larry Madsen, Dianne's Husband: "If there's a drug bust or something, and they need to place a baby, they'll give us a call and out it comes."
The Madsens are a temporary foster family. They are on-call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to care for kids who's own parents couldn't.
In four years, she's loved 43 of someone else's children.
Dianne Madsen, Foster Mother: "Every time, I think I'll treat, kiss, and hug them like they're mine... As if I'd given birth to them."
Catherine Higgins, Salt Lake County Youth Services: "If we didn't have these resource homes, we wouldn't be able to care for those children."
Catherine Higgins with Salt Lake County's Youth Services only wishes more families would help, because the need keeps growing.
Catherine Higgins, Salt Lake County Youth Services: "It's a really sad reality we face here everyday."
Taking children in, though, is nothing like letting them go. Eventually, they have to go back.
Larry Madsen, Dianne's Husband: "That's the topic that's hard to talk about, but I do get really attached. She cries like this every time, it's just a hard thing."
But she knows, soon, the phone will ring again.
Larry Madsen, Dianne's Husband: "Some people want to save whales, she wants to save children."
She averages one child a month. In fact, she has one now. Her shortest time watching a child was 3 days. The longest: 10 weeks. She's just one of those who understands when a child is taken away from its parents, it's not the child's fault.
