How a small idea turned into $1 million in scholarships for Kansas foster children

Even at 89, lawyer Gene Balloun loves guiding area families through the legal process of adoption.

But few moments have been lovelier for him than the staff gathering on Wednesday at Shook Hardy & Bacon. The firm celebrated hitting the $1 million mark in college scholarships awarded to Kansas youth who have been through foster care.

Balloun launched the Kansas Foster and Adoptive Children Scholarship Fund in 2001. It is financed mostly by state-paid fees to cover pro-bono work that Balloun and other Shook attorneys provide clients wanting to create forever families.

Himself a foster parent to 29 children over the years, Balloun (pronounced “balloon”) said that “being a foster parent, handling these adoptions and helping give out scholarships is without question the most gratifying thing I’ve done in the law profession.”

Earlier this year, he assisted the Gardner couple adopting Kansas’ so-called “Fab Five” siblings, whose desire to stay together became a viral story read by millions.

But the scholarship idea came from his wife, he said. What if the law firm pooled Kansas adoption assistance funds to make college possible for youth formerly in foster care or aging out of the system?

Just a couple of students were awarded scholarships in 2001, said Shook paralegal Kathy Hoffman. Since then, 800 scholarships have gone out — 72 in July alone — drawing on state-paid fees of about $600 per adoption for free legal work. A typical scholarship is about $1,000.

One recipient, University of Kansas senior Brooke Barney, spoke to the lawyers gathered Wednesday. She said she was “amazed” to learn of programs offering college help to former foster children such as herself.

“I just got back from studying abroad and I have so many plans for the future,” Barney said. “It wouldn’t be possible without people like you.”

Joni Hiatt, Kansas director of programs the advocacy group Foster Adopt Connect, said such programs do more than help provide former foster children an education.

“It offers them a space and time to figure out what to” entering adulthood, she said.

Shook’s scholarships are available to people entering trade schools as well as universities. The fund is managed by the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation.

This story was originally published July 25, 2018 at 6:04 PM.