When Mick and Jenn OâNeil decided to adopt, the complications created by the COVID-19 pandemic never made them question their choice.
Matthew, 14, had been one of Jennâs students at Kutztown Middle School, and when she learned he was entering the foster care system for the second time in his young life, she and her husband committed to making him part of their family.
Though months of delays were stressful, his adoption was finalized in November after a nearly two-year process, and the OâNeils are thrilled to call Matthew their son.
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But while the pandemic never derailed their decision to adopt, local agencies say it has forced some families to drop the idea of becoming foster or adoptive parents, at least temporarily.