Fosters become ‘forever families’

By Ed Runyan

WARREN — When single dad Don Hall’s son, Kevin, graduated from Southington High School a couple of years ago and left home, it left a void in the young father’s life.

At only 35, he was an “empty nester,” and he didn’t like that feeling.

“I started thinking ‘What am I going to do?’” he remembers. “It seemed like he [Kevin] grew up so fast.”

One option, he said, was to get into a relationship and have more of his own children, but there was a risk that the relationship wouldn’t work out. Besides, “I didn’t want to go through the diaper thing,” he said.

That’s when Hall started thinking about adoption.

Hall, of Leavittsburg, contacted the Trumbull County Children Services Board, took the classes and became certified as a foster parent in July 2006.

He started foster parenting Chase, now 10, in March 2007. The experience was a positive one, and Hall took the additional steps to adopt Chase last November.

Devan, 13, came to live with Hall as a foster child in August 2007, and Hall decided to adopt him as well.

On Friday, Judge Thomas A. Swift of Trumbull County Probate Court finalized Devan’s adoption in a ceremony in common pleas court, along with the adoption of six other children to three other families.

The ceremony was at the court for the second consecutive year to publicize adoption of foster children and to commemorate National Adoption Month, which is this month.

In addition to Hall’s now having two adopted sons, he also has two foster sons, ages 9 and 7.

“It’s been a ride,” Hall said after the ceremony had ended. “I went from no kids to four.”

Being a single, male foster parent makes Hall relatively rare, but he said it has worked out for him because he works from home renting and putting up tents.

The boys can stay with him and help him while he’s doing his job, Hall added.

As for Devan, he likes his house full of guys, playing football and putting up tents.

For Alfred and Stella Austin of Warren, adopting Iesha, 17, and Shanice, 16, Friday was a natural thing to do for a couple who already have seven grown children of their own.

But the Austins didn’t rush into it.

The girls — along with older sister Dashanne — have been living with the Austins as foster children since April 2001, Stella Austin said.

“I wanted to make sure that [living with the Austins] is where the kids wanted to be,” she said. “Sometimes [foster kids] want to find their biological family and be with them,” she said, “but we get along so well.”

Adding together the three girls with the seven other Austin children, ranging in age from 37 to 48, and all the grandchildren, Christmastime at the Austins’ can involve 50 to 60 people, Stella said.

The only confusing thing for the girls over the years was how to properly address the Austins’ other children. They frequently called them “uncle” and “aunt,” but now call them “brother-uncle” and “sister-aunt,” she said.

Being a foster parent to the three girls has been a joy for the Austins, Stella said, especially when the girls saw what they were getting for Christmas the first year.

Shanice just couldn’t believe what was under the tree with her name on it.

“‘Are these all for me?’” she recalled Shanice saying. “They were so amazed. They’ve really brought joy to us.”

Marcia Tiger, children services board director, said 22 children were adopted by their foster parents so far this year, and 30 more are still waiting for their “forever family.”

runyan@vindy.com