In an unanimous decision, the nine justices said the city of Philadelphia was wrong to exclude a Catholic agency from its adoption programs.
In the 20th century Magdalene laundries were punitive institutions where young “fallen” women – pregnant and unmarried – endured a daily regime of silence, prayer and hard labour. The last Magdalene laundry closed in 1996.
William Murphy/lFlickr
The conservative Catholic moral code that underpinned adoption in Ireland penalised vulnerable women and their children. Now a proposed new law seeks to redress the impact of this legacy of shame.
Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh have bolstered the conservative wing of the Supreme Court.
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Conservative justices are redefining religious freedom to mean the protection of individuals or groups to practice their faith as they see fit, argues a constitutional law expert.
The legal order has struggled under a veil of invisibility for years. But research shows it provides better outcomes for many vulnerable children
Movie star and comedian Tiffany Haddish, left, is a former foster child who now advocates on behalf of foster children.
FilmMagic/FilmMagic for CASA of Los Angeles/via Getty Images
Experts recommend adopted children be told about their origins, no matter how difficult the circumstances, but doing so is tricky for adoptive parents.
We often hear that adoptions in Australia should be easier and quicker. But many safeguards in the adoption process are in place for a reason.
The number of Guatemalan children adopted by foreign parents dropped from 4,100 in 2008 to 58 in 2010, after the country drastically curtailed the practice.
Reuters/Jorge Dan Lopez
In 2005, almost 46,000 children were adopted across borders. Ten years later, just 12,000 were. The foreign adoption system is imploding, potentially putting children’s lives in danger.
South Korea continues to have a problem with abandoned babies and ongoing overseas adoption despite economic growth.
Jessica Walton
Andrew Leland, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Research reveals few differences between the parenting of gay men and their straight peers. But it looks like gay fathers could be more apt to volunteer at their children’s schools.
House Speaker Paul Ryan walking into the Capitol on May 4, when the House voted narrowly to accept a bill he shepherded to replace Obamacare.
Andrew Harnik/AP
Arguments about the AHCA showed deep disagreement on health care coverage. Could this move us toward universal coverage, which some say could be simpler? Don’t hold your breath.