Heather and Adam Balmain reflect on their foster care and adoption journey
By Sarah Vammen

Family movie nights, loud gatherings, and little feet pattering down the hall were always part of Heather and Adam Balmain’s shared vision of family. They are now able to live out these dreams with their three sons, whom they adopted through the foster care system.

Heather, a medical coder for UAMS Little Rock, and Adam, a lineman for Bowie-Cass Electric Cooperative and youth pastor at Myrtle Springs Baptist Church, married in 2009 and live in De Kalb, Texas. “We knew pretty much from the beginning of our marriage that we wanted children,” Heather said. While the idea of adoption came up occasionally, Heather and Adam didn’t seriously consider it until they had been married about eight years and had not yet had children. “We did always have a heart for adoption, and as time went on, God continued to grow our heart for it and reveal that plan to us,” she said.

The Balmains contacted agency A World For Children in Tyler, Texas, to become licensed for foster care and adoption. Though adopting a child was the Balmains’ initial intent, their goals evolved as they learned more about the system. “Reunification with the biological family is almost always the main goal,” Heather said. “Our first placement was the perfect picture of what foster care is supposed to be. We got to really come alongside her biological parent and help work toward reunification. It opened our hearts to a whole world and plan bigger than we could have ever imagined.”

Heather and Adam know that this was a journey they were meant to take. They’ve even become advocates for other families who are considering this path. “All it takes is a ‘yes’ to get started,” Heather said. She encourages anyone who is curious about beginning their own foster care and/or adoption journey to reach out to a local agency who can help interested families become licensed for foster care placements, navigate each family’s situation, and guide them through the legal process for adoption.

“We knew our calling and continued to say ‘yes’ to the children God put in our path.” Photo by shane darby.

Each of the Balmains’ sons started out as foster care placements, and each adoption process was unique. “Our first [adoption process] was an absolute rollercoaster ride full of ups and downs,” Heather said. “There were a couple of times that we got close to everything crashing down. It tested us in so many ways but also strengthened our faith.” Finally, when he was 20 months old, Adam and Heather were able to finalize their oldest son’s adoption.

The family of three continued to accept foster care placements. “We knew our calling and continued to say ‘yes’ to the children God put in our path,” Heather said. They went on to adopt two more beloved boys. Heather emphasized that three foster-to-adopt cases in one family is unusual and that the primary goal of foster care is almost always to reunite children with their birth families.

The journey of building their family has bonded and changed Heather and Adam in ways they never expected. “I think it’s impossible to love and care for these little boys with all your heart and not be changed in the process,” Heather said. “It comes with sacrifices that have molded us and strengthened us for the better in all aspects.”

“The boys bring joy to everything we do that we were missing before.” photo by shane darby.

Now, as a family of five, the holiday season feels even more magical for the Balmains. “The boys bring joy to everything we do that we were missing before,” Heather said. “Our favorite family activity at the moment is family movie nights complete with pizza and snacks while we watch Polar Express in our Christmas pajamas.”

The joy of opening their hearts and homes to their sons has also come with difficulties. “We have lots of everyday challenges that come with parenting three young kiddos, especially kids that may not have had the easiest backgrounds,” Heather said. Learning to adapt has become a superpower for the Balmains. “Those challenges bring joy as well—joy in the little accomplishments, and joy in the fact that, at the end of the day, we are a family that is full of love and too many blessings to count.” Heather looks forward to slowing down and watching her boys bond as brothers, grow, and make family memories.

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