BELLINGHAM, Wash. — A Bellingham family said the coronavirus pandemic has paused their adoption process indefinitely— a situation that one adoption agency explained is happening to hundreds of families across the country.
“With more cases every day, we just wonder and hope and pray that it’s going end,” Chris Crnich told KING 5 back in February.
The Crinch family has been trying to adopt their future son, Miles, from China.
Now it's a waiting game to bring him home from across the world.
In February, they were in the final stages of adopting Miles from China, but the travel restrictions kept them in the states. Nearly six months later and they still don’t have their son.
“We thought that COVID was going to be the worst part of this but we hope that it doesn’t become a big political thing as well,” Crnich continued.
Susan Cox of Holt International, an adoption agency, said across the United States, there are hundreds of families approved for international adoption but are in a standstill.
“We’re trying to continue to support the families as much as possible. Sadly, there is very little news that we can share with them that they don’t already know,” Cox said.
What the Crnich family doesn't know is when they’ll be able to bring Miles to Bellingham. In the meantime, they’re preparing his room. Jade, their first child also adopted from China, is eager to meet her sibling.
“She’s really looking forward to getting her brother,” said Suzette Crnich.
“She’s said several times, ‘I wish I could just snap my fingers so I could have my brother here and have someone to play with,'” Chris said.
And as Miles approaches his fourth birthday, they can only hope he wont spend his fifth without them.