TheBakersfieldCalifornian.com

Tanya Osenbaugh felt a chill run through her body when she walked into her first foster care meeting two years ago.

Unable to have children biologically, Tanya and her husband, Clyde Osenbaugh, a heavy equipment mechanic, turned to adoption through foster care after Tanya woke up one morning with a feeling that it was meant for them.

"I thought it was the right thing to do. I thought it was why I was put on this earth," Clyde said.

Two years later, their backyard is filled with the sounds of seven kids and a new puppy.

On Friday night, the Osenbaugh brood will share their story of adopting through foster care at the fifth annual Heart Gallery Gala, a First Friday affair publicizing adoption through foster care during National Adoption Awareness Month.

The Osenbaughs began the process of background checks and classes in August 2009. Three months later, they welcomed their daughter Audrey and her brother Tyler into their home. In December 2009, they added their son Aiden.

The couple planned to stop at three but received a call about a pair of brothers in need of a home a few months later. They met Aaron and Bo and asked when they could take them home.

The Osenbaughs decide to add another girl to their burgeoning bunch. Three-year-old Sarah and her infant sister joined the family last fall.

The Osenbaughs have adopted six of their children and hope to complete the adoption of their youngest daughter next spring.

"Our first adoption, I cried the whole time," Tanya said. "When you sign that paper it feels like you're having a baby. Here's your kids, here's your family, here's your pride and joy."

From June 2010 to June 2011, the Kern County Adoptions Agency completed 294 adoptions, according to the Kern County Department of Human Services. Antanette Jones, the county's assistant director of Child Protective Services, said Kern boasts a high adoption rate, but there is room for improvement.

"I think that some people have an idea that our children in foster care are always with relatives or they always go back home," Jones said.

In reality, 68 percent of foster care children in Kern County are returned to their homes. With nearly 2,300 children are in foster care, Jones said that still leaves many children without a permit place.

"We want to provide long-term forever families for these children," Jones said.

The Heart Gallery features photos of some of those children and features information from agencies that help the adoption process. For the first time, the occasion will also include pictures and the presence of families built through foster care adoptions.

"We really just want people to understand it's about making that lifelong connection and commitment," said Heidi Carter-Escudero, outreach and communications coordinator for the Department of Human Services. "It really is a chance for people to come out and ask questions and to experience first-hand some of the stories that these families have."

The Osenbaughs hope that by sharing their experiences, they can ease some of the reservations people have about adopting via foster care.

"I wanted to be able to help be a voice for these kids," Tanya said. "The kids aren't that bad; all they need is a chance."