Article by Jessica Renstrom

Photos by Mackenzie Scheie Photography 

The path to fatherhood looks different for every dad. Some become fathers early, some later, some biologically, some through adoption, some after years of waiting & struggle, and others before they feel ready. Despite all these differences, one thing is certain: however a child enters your life, they change it forever. 

This June, we're talking fatherhood with Eric Basye, a Billings dad who’s built both his life and career around the deep conviction that every child deserves a family. 

The Roots of a Good Dad 

Growing up in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Eric Basye was the youngest child of a carpenter. Eric’s father was a present, involved parent: throwing baseballs to his son for hours on their wraparound deck; driving his children to and from the rodeo; and including Eric in fishing trips that created lasting memories.  

“I lucked out when it comes to a demonstration of what a good father looks like,” says Eric. “What he offered me as a demonstration of a father was really remarkable, and something he probably didn't get much of.” That foundation set the course for the kind of father Eric wanted to be.  

They're All My Children 

Fast forward to adulthood, when Eric and his wife, Shelly, landed in Memphis, where she was in medical school. The young couple found themselves immersed in a community of doctors and families who were deliberately choosing to live in the city's poorest neighborhoods. It was the first time they’d seen people intentionally choose adoption alongside, or instead of, having biological children. 

One evening, sitting on what a friend called "the magic porch," Eric asked a physician who had adopted whether he loved his biological and adopted children differently. "He just looked at me and kind of sternly, lovingly rebuked me," Eric recalls, laughing. "'They're all my children. What are you talking about?'" 

That moment was one of many that guided the Basyes toward adoption. “We just knew early on, through those interactions, that whether or not we could have kids biologically, adoption would be a pathway for us. We knew that this was what the Lord had asked of us, and it just seemed right," explains Eric.  

And right it was. In addition to their two biological children, Eric and Shelly eventually adopted a daughter and a son, completing their family. Today, their four kids range from 15 to 19, and when Eric reflects on that moment on the magic porch, he couldn’t agree more with his friend’s sentiment: “It’s true, they are all our children. Whether they're ours biologically or via adoption, we really, truly, to our core believe that these are children that God has gifted to us and blessed us with as a family.” 

Surprising Grief 

Parenting is always full of surprises, but adoptive families often face a unique set of emotional dynamics that can catch even the most prepared parents off guard. In an adoption story, amidst the joy of welcoming a beloved child into a family, there is still heartache. "Your celebration is birthed out of their grief," Eric explains. "There is trauma within the story of adoption. There's loss, there's grief, and there are challenges with identity." Parenting through that, he's learned, requires a different kind of style with more intentional affirmation and reassurance. 

These parts of his fatherhood journey are what make Eric’s role as Executive Director of Child Bridge deeply personal. Child Bridge is a Montana nonprofit dedicated to finding and equipping foster and adoptive families with the tools, training, and community they need to thrive. 

"I think I'm a pretty good father, but if I had had Child Bridge 20 some years ago, I would have parented differently," he says. Now, he gets to make sure other families don't have to walk the journey of fostering and adoption alone. 

Grace-Filled Fatherhood 

This Father’s Day, Eric reminds us that the making of a great dad isn’t perfection, but his willingness to repair and keep showing up. 

“Parenting is hard. I miss the mark a thousand times as a dad, husband, you name it. That said, I am perpetually in need of grace, both God’s grace (to get reoriented in the right direction), but also the grace of my kids.” 

He's come to believe that how a father handles falling short matters just as much as getting it right: "It also models to our children how to rightly respond when they too fail." And at the end of the day, the goal is simple. Every dad wants to watch his kids grow, find their footing, and build a life that's truly their own. Eric is no different. His biggest wish for his four kids? "I just want to see them surpass me in all things: enjoy life, enjoy God, and do great things, whatever those things might be." 

To learn more about Child Bridge, visit childbridgemontana.org. 

Originally printed in the June 2026 issue of Simply Local Magazine

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