Full House, Full Hearts

By Jhee Yoon

(Waldorf, MD)—Toni and Bill Benton probably never get lonely. They’re probably never bored. That’s because their house is filled with seven adopted children, ranging in age from 2 to 18. There are medical issues for some, including a heart condition and a cleft palate. One child is deaf and two have urological conditions. But Toni and Bill think they’re all perfect. A 26-year old biological son, Johnny, is married and is stationed in Nebraska where he serves in the U.S. Air Force. “When he comes home, he’s a rock star,” Toni exclaims.

Coming home. That’s a big deal for the Bentons. It’s how Toni describes the process by which her children joined the family from China. With waits for overseas adoptions taking six years or more, the Bentons consider themselves lucky. “Our five last kids came home quickly, twelve months or less,” she said. Because those Benton children had “special needs,” the process was substantially expedited by China.

“Don’t be afraid of special needs. It’s not that tough,” Toni said, adding that the family’s faith sees them through. “It’s not as scary as some people think. If money is stopping you, just jump in. He [God] always provides. We’re certainly not a rich family, and yet we’re still able to bring seven kids home.”

What about the medical costs? “It’s all been covered by insurance,” she said. Husband Bill works part-time, serving primarily as a stay-at-home Dad. “So we tag-team,” as Toni described it. “I like kids. I also like parties. It’s never a dull moment.”

And what about bringing more kids home? “Oh, stop, don’t ask me that,” Toni mock protested through hearty laughter. “We’ve said we were done before, but we’ve learned not to say that out loud. If God said to do it, we’d do it, but He’d have to say it very loudly,” she said, laughing again.