RED LION, Pa. — When Joey Couch met Jessica and her then 15-month-old daughter Ava, he embraced becoming a girl dad.
Jessica said he was hands-on right away, changing diapers and babysitting. He has always been involved in doctor's visits and cheerleading practice.
“She’s everything to me," said Joey.
Joey married Ava’s mom in 2018 after four years of dating. Ava and Joey bonded famously.
“I like to ride my bike with my Dad and do crafts,” Ava said.
The trio soon became a family of five. Ava, now 7 years old, wanted Joey to become her “official” dad.
“One day she came to me and she said, ‘I want to have the last name Couch,’” explained Joey. “Hearing that gave me that satisfaction of approval.”
The Red Lion family had been waiting three long months to finalize the adoption, when the coronavirus pandemic began to unravel. Sixteen hours before their hearing, courts closed to the public. It was heartbreaking for the family.
“We would have had to wait at least until June or July, probably, to have it in person,” explained Jessica. “And that’s even if the whole COVID-19 [outbreak] cleared up by then.”
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About two weeks later, an unexpected possibility arrived. The Couch’s attorney received approval from a York County Judge to handle the adoption hearing virtually via the videoconferencing tool, Zoom. On April 9, Joey ‘officially’ became Ava’s dad.
Ava loves her new name and Joey said it is hard to imagine a higher honor.
“I never considered her anything else but my daughter. I never used the step-father term,” said Joey. “It was never a question. She was just always mine. I think it was nice to finally make it official.”
The Couch family made it official as Ava’s grandparents, aunts and uncles watched remotely from their homes – all via Zoom.