SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — According to the Children’s Home Society of Florida, Seminole County is in desperate need of foster homes for teens and sibling groups.

Right now in Florida, there’s more than 2,500 teenagers in foster care.

In Seminole County, 79 percent of teens in foster care are waiting to be welcomed into foster homes. That is higher than the state average of 59 percent.

Anthony and Kaley Geiger are in their mid-20s and have just recently got their first teenage foster child, a calling they felt was important and necessary.

"One of the things we want them to know is that they are cared for and they are loved, whether they are here for 14 hours or three years, we are here to love on them and always have a place in our hearts,” Anthony said.

The Geigers have a teenage boy who we are not identifying in this story.  He has been in foster care for just over two years, and in a short time with the Geigers, he can already tell he’s in a safe place.

“Basically they are really nice, and they will always love me,” said the foster teen.

The need for foster families isn’t just a Seminole County issue. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, on any given day there are nearly 438,000 children in foster care.

“We have 81 homes in Seminole County and only six teenage children are placed in them," said Executive Director for Children's Home Society of Florida Sherri Gonzales. "The need to transition teens into loving home environments is very critical.”

If you would like to learn more about becoming a foster family, you can to go the Children’s Home Society of Florida website.