fos•ter |fôs-tər; fäs-|: to promote the growth or development of; further; encourage; to bring up, raise, or rear, as a foster child; to care for or cherish.
Kerry and Donna Ball know this definition well. Kerry also claims James 1:27 as his own personal Bible verse. “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
Donna laughingly says that Kerry knew she was too good to pass up, so after two years of dating he finally proposed. They both know that in reality, Kerry originally did want to marry Donna, but was hesitant about becoming a father to her two sons Aaron and P.J., who were 18 months and three years old at the time they met. Kerry just wasn’t so sure he wanted to do the “kid” thing. But apparently history has a way of repeating itself.
Donna grew up in Pearland and had one brother and one sister. If you read the Pearland High School yearbook, you’ll see that her life’s ambition was to be a housewife and a mother. Kerry, whose father, Jack, was adopted, married Marie and they adopted Kerry and another child, Susie. Adoption was already in Kerry’s veins; he just didn’t realize it yet.
Just one month after Donna and Kerry married, she had to have an emergency hysterectomy. They raised Aaron and P.J. together, and went about their lives. Ten years later, Kerry sat as a juror on a case involving a foster girl who had been severely abused, and it really touched his heart. As he walked out of the courtroom that day, his eyes focused on a poster in the hallway featuring the phone number of the Brazoria County Children’s Protective Service (CPS) and another touch happened. He spoke with Donna about it that night, and as they prayed, they felt they needed to call that number. Classes were starting right away to become licensed foster parents, so they signed up.
The steps to become foster parents through CPS are easy and straightforward:
• Fill out paperwork
• Get a criminal background check
• Go through orientation
• Take ten weeks of classes
• Have a “home study” done of your residence
• Get a fire and health inspection
Income was also not an issue. Kerry was a fireman up until May of 2010, and Donna was a stay-at-home mom. The state only requires 40 square feet of bedroom space per child, so a 12’ x 12’ bedroom will hold three children. Religious preference holds no influence with the state, nor does a college degree. Donna and Kerry soon qualified for everything the state required and, when presented with their licenses, learned they were the first class to be dual-certified for fostering and adoption. So, when they agreed never to adopt, only to foster, they received their first phone call. Thirty-one foster children later, Donna and Kerry have chosen the five children that fit into their family perfectly, and set about to adopt each one of them.
Ashley came to the Ball family when she was nine months old. Baby Ashley was left in a hotel room, and her birth mother never returned. After the Balls had fostered her for several months, another family agreed to adopt her, but Donna called Kerry while he was at work and begged to adopt Ashley instead. Kerry agreed, and the process began. Ashley is now a beautiful 13-year-old with a passion for horses and cats. She has a take-charge personality and is a strong right hand to her mom.
The “miracle baby” came next. Born at only 31 weeks and weighing two pounds and nine ounces, Autumn was abandoned at a hospital. When she was six weeks old, CPS called the Balls and asked if they wanted to foster a little blond, blue-eyed angel. At nine weeks and weighing six pounds, Autumn went home to live with the Balls. They knew before they left the hospital that they wanted to adopt her. Autumn is now ten years old and the proud owner of a pet pig, Wilbur.
Next a tragic story began to unfold, but as always, God kept his promise found in Romans 8:28. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Little Kevin was put in the Ball’s home when he was 22 months old, and lived there for the next seven months. His birth mother (we’ll call her Lisa), was only 14 years old and also in foster care. She got him back, and Kevin stayed in foster care with her for eight months until she gave birth to his little brother Andrew. Lisa’s foster parents spoke with the Balls and asked if they would be willing to take both boys, Kevin, now 3 years old, and Andrew, 7 months old and deaf. The Balls took the boys in, adopted them, and considered their family complete. They called CPS and said they wanted to stop fostering.
In July of 2009, they got a call from CPS anyway. Lisa had been hit by a car and wasn’t expected to live. She was also pregnant and that baby did not survive. With her was another baby, Anthony, only four months old. The Balls immediately renewed their license, and after their home was inspected they took Anthony home. Lisa did live, and refused to give up her parental rights. The courts appointed guardianship to the Balls, and they are currently awaiting a trial to receive approval for the adoption.
“You don’t needs lots of material things to foster kids, you just need a big heart,” said Donna. For example, the Ball’s house is less than 1500 square feet, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms for all seven of them. It has worked all these years, and now Kerry is adding two bedrooms and another bathroom as his time allows. He is grateful to a group of men from Sagemont Church who volunteered to help him get the house dried in just as rain was approaching, and in another month or so they will no longer have three children per bedroom.
The Balls want to be very transparent about the process of fostering and adoption in the hopes that others will see how easy it is and what a blessing they will receive when you take in one of these precious children. The state pays around $400.00 per month per child, and a bit more for those who are considered hard to adopt for some reason - bi-racial, over two years old, disabilities, etc. College tuition for a state school is often provided, and families are reimbursed for the cost of the adoption process after the adoption is completed. The state provides Medicaid for the children also. Donna says that although adopted children can come with varying degrees of emotional or physical problems, biological children can have problems, too. The beauty of adoption through CPS is that you can let the child live with your family for up to six months to see if it is a good fit for everyone involved. The Balls didn’t care about race or disability, but did purposefully choose matching age levels and genders to create harmony in the family. The addition of a sixth child is planned and will most likely be a teenage girl who will have immediate friends in Ashley and Autumn.
Kerry and Donna have a rambunctious and happy household. Take the five children, add them to four horses, three of which were rescued, four cats, a Westie Poo, a German shepherd who failed police academy and had to be rescued, and the previously mentioned Wilbur, and there’s never a dull moment. Donna’s mom has pitched in on numerous occasions, and proudly presents each child with a Vermont Teddy Bear on the day of his or her adoption. Each bear wears either a sports jersey with the child’s name and adoption date for the boys, or a hair bow and a sash with the same information for the girls.
Family is the top priority with this group, and Kerry explained that because of God’s call to take care of the widows and orphans, He has always been there to help the family through the rough times. And make it through, they have. The Balls just celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary at Danbury Lodge with a huge party. Just before the family was to appear before their guests in their “Sunday’s finest,” Kerry and Donna looked out the window and saw Autumn with her pants rolled up, playing in the mud. She and Wilbur apparently have something in common, and fortunately for Autumn, everybody shared a good laugh.
Family and friends have been so enamored by the Balls’ children that a few of them have followed suit. Donna’s niece Katie has adopted a little girl named Kaitlyn whom the Balls first fostered. The Balls say when Katie saw Kaitlyn, she just fell in love and couldn’t let go. A couple who are friends of Kerry and Donna also met and eventually adopted two of their own foster children. The Balls have set a true example of being Living Proof of a Loving God, and they are loving every minute of it.