One day listening to Jeff Foxworthy's "You Might Be a Redneck" routine, I realized that, just as rednecks don't always recognize their "red-neckiness," so many potentially wonderful foster parents could miss out on a truly life-changing opportunity, simply because they don't recognize that they have been giving the "gift of fostering."

With more than 500,000 children in the U.S. in need of temporary or permanent homes, getting families to recognize this gift can make a profound difference in both the lives of those children ... and in your own as well.

So ... what does a "real" foster family look like? Most aren't independently wealthy; you don't need to own a home, and a foster child can share a room with another child of the same sex. A variety of services is available to support you and your family in caring for another child. Foster families receive a monthly stipend. Foster kids receive medical and dental care, free hot lunches and WIC, and they are eligible for two years of college tuition. In some cases, the state also can help with childcare expenses to foster parents who work outside the home as well as respite care.

What about work? While troubled children greatly benefit from the love and attention of a stay-at-home mom, you don't have to be at home full time to be a good foster parent. Nor do you have to be married; some of the most remarkable foster parents I've ever met have been single moms. (In Ann Arbor, the religious order Servants of God's Love have fostered children for years.)

Many foster families have other children, either biological or adopted, already at home. Some social workers strongly recommend fostering children who are younger than those in the home. (This would be especially important if you are fostering children with exceptional emotional needs or with a history of some kinds of abuse.) However, I've also met families that welcome children "out of birth order," with success.

What are some important characteristics of good foster parents? Take this little test ...

• Do you genuinely like being around children, and vice versa? • Do you instinctively look for ways to help other people, adults and children alike? • Are you good at bringing order out of chaos, yet don't mind a little "happy mess"? • Do you have a WYSIWYG philosophy of life; are you honest and generally kind? • Are you capable of giving a lesson again and again? • Do you tend to be intuitive about children and are able to figure out what they need when they can't tell you themselves? • Do you like cuddles, hugs and dandelion bouquets? • Are you able to ask for help when you need it? • Are you a resourceful person -- not too proud to ask for help when you need it? • You would like to add to your family without another pregnancy? (Those with children who have grown and left home often find that fostering and/or adopting a school-age or teenage child to be a better "fit" than resuming the bottle-and-diaper routine.) • Most important: Do you believe in the power of love to change lives?

If you are interested in learning more about becoming a licensed foster parent, the first step is to attend an informational meeting offered by social agency that licenses foster parents. While attending a meeting does not commit you to becoming a foster parent, it does provide a way to get the information you need to make an informed decision.

I recently joined the board of one such agency called "Fostering Futures," which was recently started by veteran social workers John and Jennifer DeVivo. The next open house will be in their Ypsilanti office (61 N. Huron St.) on Saturday from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. For more information about an upcoming meeting, click here.

Some people hesitate to welcome a child temporarily into their homes, unsure they want to form an attachment to a child who is in their home only temporarily. However, many foster parents find that the children who enter their lives even for a brief time touch them so deeply that they are better off for having known them for that short time. For a touching account of one such family's experience, pick up a copy of "Paper Sack Kids."

Having said that, nearly 60 percent of foster children never go home, and there are more than 125,000 children who need permanent homes. Many of these children are older than 4 (the median age is 8), and younger children are often a part of a sibling group, have special needs or are biracial.

Go to your local library and ask for the "MARE binder," and you can see the picture and read case histories of boys and girls who are permanent wards of the court who are in need of permanent homes. Could your new son or daughter be waiting for you right now?

Heidi Hess Saxton is a contributing writer to the parenting channel of AnnArbor.com, and the founder of the "Extraordinary Moms Network." You may contact her at heidi.hess.saxton@gmail.com.