Kansas City family officially adopts child via Zoom call with judge

**Embargo: Kansas City, KS-MO** Even though staying home has created a series of hurdles in business and government, some things like seeing a judge just can’t wai

by: CNN Wire

Posted: Apr 5, 2020 / 02:47 PM MDT

Updated: Apr 5, 2020 / 02:50 PM MDT

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KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) — Even though staying home has created a series of hurdles in business and government, some things like seeing a judge just can’t wait.

On Friday, KCTV5’s Nathan Vickers spoke with a family who had waited for years to call a child their own.

There has always been love at home with Jack.

“We felt that love and connection with him from the beginning,” Danielle Wesley said.

It’s been two and a half years since Danielle and Will Wesley brought their tiny, 4-pound foster child home. He’s been grinning ever since.

“From day one he’s always very outgoing,” she said. “His personality just shines.”

However, the adoption process has been a difficult one.

“It’s just been delay after delay after delay,” she said.

The latest delay — a worldwide health crisis — seemed insurmountable.

“When we heard about the courts closing, we were disappointed,” she said. “We’ve waited so long for this.”

But then, something shifted.

“The courts have been able to start doing this virtually with some advocacy,” said Lee Bortka.

Bortka worked with the Wesleys through FosterAdopt Connect.

“This is an awesome family,” he said.

The family’s lawyer convinced the state courts to allow virtual adoptions, which has allowed organizations like Bortka’s to continue helping children find permanent families.

“This is a great deal because it doesn’t stop the process that they’ve been working toward,” he said. “It’s great for the kids, too.”

Instead of a courtroom, the Wesleys met with the judge through a teleconferencing app. As they put it, they were “Zooming into forever.”

“The judge, our lawyer, everyone was in their homes,” she said. “We just went through all the steps that were required.”

Now, it’s a time of celebration for Jack and a family who has always been there.

“We’ve always known we were a family,” Wesley said. “Now, we know that we really are going to be growing our family together forever.”

They have a lifetime of love ahead of them.

FosterAdopt Connect said virtual adoptions have allowed the county to clear out a backlog of cases that had started to form when coronavirus began impacting proceedings. They’re now caught up and on track to clear 21 adoptions in April.