There was a bittersweet welcoming ceremony at Dulles International Airport outside Washington, DC, organised by some of the more than 400 US families who will continue to wait.

Congolese authorities recently approved exit permits for 14 children adopted by Americans, and for about 58 adopted by Canadian and European families. But more than 1 000 other adopted children will remain in Congolese orphanages and foster homes pending completion of a new adoption law.

At Dulles, some of those still-waiting parents were in tears, and held up photos of the children they’ve adopted.