Colorado Springs foster family has cared for 52 children

John and Carla Londo have been fostering kids in Colorado Springs and enhancing their lives for the past 24 years.

Fifty-two kids and teenagers have been welcomed into the Londo home – Carla pointed down a row of pictures — “Jaime, Eric, our [biological son] John, Jeremy, Terry, Matt, Tanner, Jim, Kaitlin.” They’re photos she displays on her wall to keep their memory alive.

Carla proudly displays 13 portraits. “Some of them have a hard time remembering to give me a new picture. Some of these kids came from a trailer house that had zero furniture, had zero food in it,” Carla said.

Carla and John have been parents to not only their own but others kids, as well.

“The first nine kids took our name, and we have two kids that didn’t take our name which is totally fine with us,” said Carla Londo.

With May being Foster Care Month, Carla says there’s a huge need in the foster system.

“There’s a shortage of foster homes placements, so they end up putting them into higher level cares where they don’t belong,” Carla said.

“They belong in a home where they’ve can be taken care of,” John said.

Their hope is to transform the lives of those who enter their home.

“We try to raise them like our own kids and treat them like our own kids. Any new kids that come home, the older kids treat them like they’re part of the family,” John said.

The last two decades haven’t been easy – Carla and John said some of their children had trust issues.

“Just loving a kid isn’t going to solve them. They have to see that a meal is on that table. If I say I’m going to be there at 5 to pick them up they need to see that happen,” John said.

Carla and John hope their story changes the foster care stereotype and that more are willing to love and share their home with foster kids.

The Londo family isn’t fostering any kids right now but will continue to take in kids as needed.