Fostering family and friendship on Father's Day

CASEY, Ill. (WTHI) - It's Father's Day, and many of us spent time remembering the men that raised us; however, not every child has that father figure in their lives.

One Casey, IL. dad has dedicated his life to raising any child in need of parents.

It's a quiet Father's Day outside of the Dyring home. But inside, the sounds of dad approved chaos echo through the walls.

"We play with Legos, every time I turn around, I try to buy Legos off eBay,they're trying to build stuff for me,” father Richard Dyring said.

The Father's Day gifts of custom built Lego fortresses are from his four boys. Boys that may not be Dyring's by blood, but you wouldn't know it by watching.

His four children are foster children.

"I try to treat the kids as if they were mine. I give them the same things I would give to my own children," he said.

Richard and his wife Karla started working as foster parents several years ago.

"I knew it had been a dream of hers and you know I don't have any problems trying it,” he says of the day they started.

Eight foster children later, Richard’s still at it this Father's Day; even if he and his wife's hands are a little full. He's not just a guardian he sees himself as a teacher, providing lessons dads everywhere have perfected.

"When (the oldest boy) came here, he couldn't ride a bike for beans,” Dyring said, “he was on training wheels. I told him, ‘you just gotta get on it and get going. 'I said, If you fall down you get back up and you go again."

He’s always encouraging them, giving the boys the best life possible; especially with what they've been through in their young lives.

"They have so many issues they have to deal with in their life, I wouldn't wanna be a foster child myself,” he said.

He is creating a bond with them, just like many fathers have with their own children.

"When they come up to you and say, ‘Rich I love you!’ or something like that it really hits you. It hits your heart,” Dyring mused.

But even when this Father's Day ends, and eventually these boys move on, he and his wife's door will be open to new children.

"We gotta do what we can do to help out,” Dyring said.

But for now he’ll foster a normal life for Father's Day.

To learn more about foster parenting visit the One Hope United website.