In an interview with NBC’s Today Show, Hall of Fame Football Coach Tony Dungy and his wife Lauren said they made a decision to never turn away a child in need and have fostered over 100 children.
Lauren Dungy told NBC “we love children. Children are our passion, and we just believe that we can pour into them and just help them, guide them through life.”
“We made that decision early on that when we were going to foster children, we wouldn’t say ‘no,’ because we know the children are in crisis and they need a home,” she added. “They need stability. They need love. So we opened our doors to the kids, and we’ve had over 100 children walk through our door.”
Lauren Dungy has a teaching background and specializes in early childhood education and Tony is currently an NBC football analyst who has retired from coaching with the Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tony and Lauren are both Christians and recently released a book which they co-wrote called Uncommon Influence: Saying Yes to a Purposeful Life.
Faith is extremely important to the couple the goal of the book was to “encourage people to let God lead,” said Tony.
“It’s definitely the driving force in our life,” Lauren said regarding their faith. “We begin each day in prayer together, talking to the Lord, and that just really jumpstarts our day. Prayer is very important, and faith is what keeps us together and keeps us going – guides our path.”
During the interview, they discussed their family in the book. They’re the lucky parents of 11 children which includes some adopted and fostered children. Tony and Lauren made the decision to foster many children because they have the means to help. “I think it’s a matter of just being prepared for them and knowing they’re going to happen,” he said, after receiving numerous calls from social services seeing if they’re able to take in another child. “And for us, that’s how it’s been when we’ve registered as foster parents. That’s the first thing that’s happened – ‘Hey, we’ve got an emergency situation, can you do this?’ And you have to say, ‘Yes, we’re willing’ – and those are some of the most fun ones.”