Adopting During the COVID-19 Pandemic California adoption agency. As many around the United States, and indeed the world, have noticed recently, these are very unusual times that all of us are currently living in. When it comes to the topic of adoption, there are many families around the world who have had to deal with being put on hold in some form or another due to COVID-19. Adoption is a time in which families should be concentrating on celebrating growth, but instead are undergoing frustration and confusion. Not knowing what could, and likely will, happen next thanks to these unprecedented times. According to an adviser for children’s issues with the State Department, all adoption visas continue to be processed where the appropriate conditions currently allow. This same representative also had the following to say: “But these are on a case-by-case basis with constraints due to the pandemic – such as restricted travel and closed government agencies in other countries – making it difficult to move many cases ahead.” Many other families have opted to take the step of applying for humanitarian parole through the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, which is an option that enables non-citizens to enter the United States due to an emergency on a temporary basis. The downside to this, however, is that this specific option is only a temporary one, and there is absolutely no guarantee that there will be a successful outcome. Although there are many frustrations involving the adoption process during COVID-19, there are still some families who are able to enjoy their moments in manners that are considerably less than traditional.
For instance, now that many court proceedings have been either indefinitely postponed, deemed as being nonessential, or outright canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many areas are taking the step of legalizing adoptions through the popular video conferencing app known as Zoom. Additionally, both employers and employees alike are continually working to assist prospective adoptive parents grow their families. Growing Family. Thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the outcome of an adoption likely isn’t exactly what a family may have dreamed. Nor may it likely be finalized during the original timeline, but hope still remains that someday, these same families will be able to report their unification with their adopted children. It is clear that throughout these unprecedented times, the adoption community continues to support and work hard to ensure adoptive families and children get their “happily ever after.�