Packers star and mom share personal experience of being foster family

A local celebrity is helping raise awareness about the need for more foster families in Wisconsin.

Wednesday, Packers wide receiver Ty Montgomery stopped in Milwaukee with his mother, Lisa, who has fostered 17 kids over the years.

She started when Ty was in the third grade, giving him, an only child, the chance to have brothers. Ty said the experience has shaped him into the man he has become today. He and his fiancee may consider being foster parents or adopting.

In Wisconsin, there are more than 6,500 children who are up for adoption. Some of them are being cared for by foster families, but Coalition for Children, Youth and Families said there's a desperate need for more because many families are retiring.

The organization is started a recruitment campaign, "Don't Leave Them Hanging," to encourage more people to be foster parents.

You can learn more by visiting the website and hear Ty and Lisa's story by clicking the video above. They spoke to CBS 58's Marshanna Hester live during the CBS 58 News at 4.

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