When a foster child is legally free for adoption, foster parents may opt to settle the adoption after six months of fostering. Although six months is the minimum requirement, Adoption.org says that it is more realistic to say that it would take one to two years or even longer before it is settled.
Because of the pandemic, confirmation for foster care adoption has been pushed back even further for some families. That is because courts were closed just like other establishments in the country. Initially, there was no news as to when courts will resume operations.
Families who have been waiting for their adoption to be official had to wait a little longer. Other families, however, were given the option to have their confirmation virtually! Thanks to technology and the judges who conducted virtual foster care adoption.
Adoption confirmation after 577 days
Last April 28, the Rodriguez family from Northern Kentucky officially became a family of six, from being a family of four.
After 577 days of living with Patty and Javier Rodriguez and their two kids, Marie and Trey have officially been adopted by the couple.
Marie is now five years old, while Trey is six. They have been in foster care since they were infants and a toddler respectively, and before the Rodriguezes took them in,
However, because of the pandemic, the two were adopted through a video conference call. This option was offered by an attorney so that the process could be done faster. Patty and Javier agreed to it because it makes everything official during a time when things are uncertain.
There was a parade of cars for the two kids in their community after the virtual foster care adoption.
Patty and Javier saw the need to adopt children when they moved to the Tri-State in 2018. The couple is also set to foster a teenager.
Children's Age Range: 2 to 24
The eldest child of John and Maria Clark from Hamburg, New York, is 24 years old, and now, the youngest of the family is a two-year-old girl, Aurora.
Aurora and her older sister, Laila, three years old, are recently added to Clark's family of six. The two girls are now little sisters of the four Clark boys.
The adoption of the two girls is not just special for the family but also to the Erie County Family Court judge, Hon. Sharon LoVallo, because she confirmed the adoption virtually - a first for the Family Court judge. The virtual foster care adoption was held last Thursday, May 14, via Skype.
Judge LoVallo was even generous enough to provide a balloon drop and a drum roll during the proceeding. She acknowledges the long process that the Hamburg family has been through, so she made sure that they don't wait any longer.
The virtual foster adoption was supported by their family and friends who joined the video conference call.
Even though John and Maria now have six children, they are still planning to adopt more children in the future.
