Families urge resumption of adoptions from Congo

In this June 18, 2014 photo provided by Alana Carroll, Canaan, left, and Neema, two Congolese boys who have been adopted by Justin and Alana Carroll of Jefferson City, Tenn., pose for a photo in Kinshasa, Congo. The boys have been unable to travel to the United States because the Congolese government stopped issuing exit permits in September 2013 and says it won't resume issuing them until a new adoption law is enacted. Hanging behind the boys are drawings of airplanes that they made; they've been obsessed with planes since learning that's how they will be united with their American parents. (AP Photo/Courtesy Carroll Family) In this June 18, 2014 photo provided by Alana Carroll, Canaan, left, and Neema, two Congolese boys who have been adopted by Justin and Alana Carroll of Jefferson City, Tenn., pose for a photo in Kinshasa, Congo. The boys have been unable to travel to the United States because the Congolese government stopped issuing exit permits in September 2013 and says it won't resume issuing them until a new adoption law is enacted. Hanging behind the boys are drawings of airplanes that they made; they've been obsessed with planes since learning that's how they will be united with their American parents. (AP Photo/Courtesy Carroll Family)

By Associated Press July 25, 2014 5 min read

With the president of Congo coming to Washington for a U.S.-Africa summit, hundreds of frustrated American families are hoping he can be persuaded to lift a suspension that has stalled efforts to adopt children from his troubled country for the past 10 months.

The families and their many supporters in Congress are urging President Barack Obama to personally intervene by raising the issue now with Congolese President Joseph Kabila, and then pressing for action when Kabila arrives in Washington along with dozens of other African leaders for the Aug. 4-6 summit.

The pressure campaign has included a call-in to the White House phone line Wednesday by the affected families and their allies, as well as a letter sent to Obama last week by 167 members of Congress requesting his intervention.

According to the letter coordinated by Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., 148 Congolese children have been legally adopted by U.S. families and have U.S. visas, but are still waiting for exit permits to leave the country. In all, according to Landrieu, more than 900 U.S. families seeking to adopt from Congo are “stuck in limbo” because of the suspension.

“This suspension is having tragic consequences,” the letter said. “Already, 10 children who were matched with American families have died since the suspension went into place and many more have urgent, life-threatening medical problems.”