Ask Cheryl and Jimmy Williams of Hono­lulu how many children they have and they’ll answer "more than 30" — five of their own and 28 "fosters."

The Williams, a retired military family, began fostering children in California in 1983 and continued after they moved to Hawaii in 1987.

Over the years, even when Jimmy Williams was on active duty, the couple served as foster parents to boys ages 6 to 15 and from a broad range of ethnic backgrounds, including Native Hawaiian, Asian, Tongan and Rus­sian, for anywhere from six months to five years.

In 1995 they became part of Catholic Charities Hawaii’s Na ‘Ohana Pulama Program, which finds therapeutic foster care for kids with special needs, including emotional or behavioral disorders.

Cheryl Williams said being in the military posed no barrier to foster parenting, even though it can mean frequent moves.

"We managed to do it but it was difficult," she said. "If you’re thinking about it, go for it. Try to plan for it."

Hawaii’s foster care agencies have been experiencing a decline in recruitment in recent months, according to Sarah Rogers, director of the Na ‘Ohana Pulama program for Oahu.

"There’s a huge need for foster families," Rogers said. "Statewide there’s a shortage, particularly on Oahu. I think it takes a special person or family."

In fiscal year 2012 about 2,315 children were in foster care in Hawaii, according to the state Department of Human Services. On any given day an estimated 1,200 foster children were in the system.

Rogers estimates about 30 percent of families on Oahu involved in her program are active-duty military.

May is National Foster Care Awareness Month as well as Military Appreciation Month.

It is helpful to be stationed in Hawaii for at least two years, she said, and to plan for deployments. Those already qualified as foster parents in one state should register in their new state to continue to care for children who have been taken away from their parents due to abuse, neglect or other issues.

Jimmy Williams, who grew up in foster care, served in the Army while his wife was a stay-at-home mom. They were stationed in California and Georgia before landing in Hawaii. Their foster children on the mainland had already left their care by the time they had to move.

Foster care agencies will usually let parents know the time period they will be fostering a particular child, so it can work for those on a longer three- to five-year tour, Cheryl Williams said. She recommends being open and upfront with the agency about when you will be leaving.

By the time they became involved in Na ‘Ohana Pulama here, her husband had retired, giving them more permanence. With or without a military background, Williams said becoming a foster family is the same.

"You bring them into your home and treat them as yours, that’s what you do," she said. "You just love them, and you treat them like your own. It was something we didn’t think too much about — you just did it because there was a need."

Foster parents receive special training in the Na ‘Ohana Pulama program, along with a monthly stipend and regular room and board payments starting at about $1,500 a month.

They are also required to complete crisis intervention and first aid training and other classes. They have access to a 24-hour crisis hotline and monthly support group meetings.

While each foster child has his or her own set of challenges, Williams said the rewards come when you can make a difference in their lives. She said she is still in touch with each one of the couple’s foster children and hears from them on Mother’s Day and holidays.

The Williamses, who have three daughters, now serve as family-teachers, or house parents, for a group home.

Tracy Lewis has fostered six children, ages 6 months to 15, through the Na ‘Ohana Pulama program. They were in her North Shore home for anywhere from two months to two years at a time.

Lewis, who had a 20-year career with United Airlines, and her husband, a retired Marine, had their own daughter and helped raise three nieces, seeing them through high school and college, so it didn’t seem like much of a stretch to welcome foster children into their home.

With her husband, Brendan, now in the private sector, Lewis can stay at home and provide a stable environment for foster children, whom they take in one at a time so the youngsters can have their own room and a sense of belonging.

One of her first foster children, a 14-year-old girl, had been through at least 19 different placements with little hope of being reunited with her parents. She lived with the Lewises for about a year before running away.

While the teen was in their home, she learned to read and was able to experience family dinners and develop a sense of worth and hope for the future, according to Lewis.

It broke Lewis’ heart when the girl ran away, but she said it’s one of the challenges of foster parenting. Then, a year ago, she received a call out of the blue from the girl, now in a group home, who wanted to thank her.

Another foster child, a 7-year-old with severe attention deficit disorder, was adopted by a family after two years, which is one of the greatest rewards for a foster parent.

"You need to equip yourself with a really malleable heart," Lewis said. "You have to feel for them. You need to have patience. If you don’t have any, you will get some by the time you’ve gone through this."

Cheryl Williams wants to assure anyone interested in becoming a foster parent not to let their military status or other concerns hold them back. "You’ll be trained, and there will be a team of people to support you," she said.