You may still be recovering from February 4’s emotional episode of “This Is Us.” The NBC drama has captured many hearts with its honest story lines, including ones about foster care and adoption.

During a five-episode arc earlier this season, the show portrayed a journey not commonly shown on primetime TV… the journey of a foster family.

On the show, Randall Pearson (Sterling K. Brown) and his wife Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson) felt called to make an impact in the lives of their community’s most vulnerable children and teens, so they filled the need.

They became foster parents.

Alongside their two young daughters, Tess and Annie, they soon welcome 12-year-old Deja into not only their home, but their hearts as well.

From that day forward, they were there to meet the teen’s immediate needs for safety and stability, as well as provide love, nurturance, encouragement and support.

But it doesn’t glaze over the challenges foster families face. Deja’s mother suffered from addiction and was currently in jail. The teen had suffered abuse, and she flinches when Randall comes too close. Every time Randall and his wife Beth feel as if they are gaining the teenager’s trust, things go south again.

Between the hard moments, there are also moments of hope, such as the friendship built between Deja, Tess and Annie or the motivation found by the teen while completing a school project with Randall.

Even more: the impressions fostering has in the lives of all.

After all, you never know when the smallest moments will make the biggest waves.

In a glimpse into the future, we see Tess, now an adult pursuing a career in social work, introducing a young boy in foster care to his forever family. It is clear to see that her parents’ choice to become foster parents left an impact not only in in the lives’ of those welcomed into their home, but hers as well.

Back in present-day, Randall asks young Tess her feelings toward fostering and a glimpse of young Tess’s passion for serving others is revealed.

“I like fostering. It’s a good thing to do.”

Well said, Tess.

As Chief Operations Officer of Children’s Home Society of Florida, I have a special place in my heart for the families who open their hearts and homes to children – and entire families. You see, foster parents do so much more than provide safety, love and encouragement to children in their homes … they also provide support and encouragement to parents working so hard to bring their families back together. When we partner with parents, foster families, schools, other non-profit organizations and businesses, we create stronger children, stronger families and stronger communities.

As we celebrate Foster Family Appreciation Week this week, it’s a great time to recognize the strong, loving foster families who are “doing the good thing” by welcoming Florida’s most vulnerable children into their homes.

If you’d like to do good and make a difference where it really matters, consider becoming a foster family to a child in your community in need. You’ll be glad you did. Visit www.chsfl.org/fostering to learn more.