WASHINGTON — Close to 800 children in the Democratic Republic of Congo are being blocked from uniting with their adoptive families in America. About 60 of those families met with members of Congress this week, asking them to pressure the U.S. State Department to get more involved.

For the families who have completed the adoption process, they are only waiting for an exit letter from the Congolese government giving their children permission to leave the country so they can unite with their family in America.

At least 10 children have died while waiting for their exit letter. About 41 other children are in critical condition and could suffer the same fate if they are not allowed to leave and get the care they need, Kelly Dempsey, counsel and director of Outreach and Advocacy for Both Ends Burning, told The Christian Post. more >>

The U.S. State Department denied abandoned children opportunities to be adopted by American families citing suspicion of fraud even though no evidence of fraud was found, according to a six-month investigation conducted by Both Ends Burning.

The investigation, detailed in a 54-page report published Tuesday, looked at the circumstances and consequences of the U.S. government's decision to halt all adoptions from Nepal in August 2010. According to the report, the U.S. State Department halted the adoptions out of supposed fears that fraudulent adoptions, or child trafficking, were taking place, even though numerous investigations found no evidence of such.

The Both Ends Burning investigation included thousands of documents, including many obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests, and interviews with 45 American families who were affected by the suspension of adoptions from Nepal. more >>

Sen. Mary Landrieu called on the Christian and faith-based communities to lend their support to legislation aimed at making orphan care a priority in U.S. foreign policy. On Tuesday, advocacy groups are leading a social media campaign, #SupportCHIFF, to push for passage of Landrieu's bill.

"The only way we're going to pass this bill," Landrieu said in the interview recorded May 23, is if Christian and faith-based communities raise awareness of the CHIFF legislation and the global orphan crisis it addresses.

Many would be surprised to find that, as a matter of policy, the U.S. State Department does not prioritize a belief that children belong in families, Landrieu explained. more >>

A strong majority, 63 percent, of Americans now say that same-sex couples should have a legal right to adopt a child, according to a new Gallup poll. About one in three, 35 percent, are opposed.

The result is the opposite of 1992, when Gallup first polled the question. Sixty-three percent said homosexual couples should not be legally permitted to adopt in that year. In 1998, that number declined to 57 percent. In 2003 and 2007, Americans were about equally divided on the question.

The recent poll was the first time Gallup showed a clear majority supportive of giving same-sex couples the legal right to adopt a child. more >>

The University of Notre Dame has refused to give official recognition to a student group arguing that children are better off being raised by a heterosexual married couple instead of a same-sex couple.

Notre Dame's Club Coordination Council recently refused to recognize the Students for Child Oriented Policy, prompting some to claim viewpoint discrimination at the Catholic academic institution.

Dennis Brown, spokesperson for Notre Dame, told The Christian Post that the rejection was based on SCOP duplicating the mission of other recognized student clubs. more >>

Korie Robertson of the A&E reality show "Duck Dynasty" joined forces with Louisiana's First Lady Supriya Jindal to spread awareness about adoption by rapelling down the side of Baton Rouge's second-tallest building on Friday.

The women accomplished their feat around 1 p.m. Friday when they rapelled 308 feet down Baton Rouge's One America Place building. The unique challenge was done to promote awareness for the "Over the Edge for Adoption" campaign, created by the Louisiana Family Forum, which seeks to bring awareness to the more than 300 foster children currently available for adoption in the state of Louisiana.

Korie and her husband, Willie, CEO of the Robertson family's Duck Commander business, have repeatedly discussed their personal passion for adoption, as two of their five children are adopted. Korie Robertson recalled the joy she and her husband felt when they adopted their son Will when he was a baby. more >>