ADOPTION ON ZOOM

Coronavirus restrictions aren't just keeping families physically apart...it's keeping them from being made.

Courts aren't open to legalize adoptions right now...but a kenton county family found a way around that.

Abc 36's monica harkins introduces us to the now family of six.

Zane "caleb was just like a missing piece in our family."

The galbraith family is quite the puzzle...with three biological siblings..22.

20 and 11 years old..plus an open door to nearly 15 foster kids since 2015.

About three years in...one teenager came through their door...and never moved back out.

"taylor/ trish: he felt like part of the family when he came, yes, yeah, he fit in really well.

Caleb: i felt the same way."

Kentucky has a chronically high number of kids in foster care.

Right now, non- profit d-c-c-h center for families...says there are 10,000 kentucky kids listed in the system.

The goal is to hopefully get kids back to a biological relative...but that doesn't always happen.

Caleb was approved for adoption summer 2019.

Last week ...it was finally time to make it official...but the courthouse is closed because of coronavirus restrictions.

Trish: "how would you like next tuesday by zoom?

So we're just gonna like, well, why not?

Right?

We just wanted it to be official, however way."

A zoom adoption...for a long awaited addition to the family.

The dcch center believes it's the first zoom adoption in the state.

"caleb: the perfect fit for me."

A milestone normally celebrated with a party..but again covid-19 regulations getting in the way..so mom, thought one better...why not ask the governor to share the good news..on friday..he did.

"gov beshear: congrats to the galbraith family, and thanks for opening your heart and your home to a child who needed it."

"caleb: i came from a difficult time before i met them.

And they they switch that around and gave me that different perspective on life and what what it should be and what a family actually is."

A family connected by more than blood.

"you can't really imagine what this this is like.

Because it's better than anything i could've imagined."

Once a stranger, now a galbraith, a missing piece...finally found...that they couldn't imagine life without.

In kenton county, monica harkins abc 36 news.

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