LOS ANGELES (US): Hallmark has added another feather to its cap, with the Congressional Directors of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) honouring the channel with a "National Angel" Award.

The award has been given for its efforts to raise awareness about adoption and foster care through Adoption, an original reality series as well as for the network's national and local outreach initiatives.

At the CCAI's Angels in Adoption Awards Celebration, over 270 individuals from across the United States received Local Angel awards and four individuals/organizations the National Angel awards. The 180 members of Congress, who comprise the CCA, selected the local recipients for their outstanding commitment to promoting adoption and making a difference in the lives of children.

Hallmark Channel's Adoption premiered in June. The original, one-hour, non-scripted documentary-style series portrays real-life experiences of people involved in the adoption process. The heart-warming and relevant human- interest stories encompassing each episode of the series illustrate the various forms of adoption as seen through the emotional experiences of families, birth parents and adoptive children. Adoption is executive produced by Hallmark Entertainment's Robert Halmi, Jr. exclusively for Hallmark Channel US.

The annual award's dinner culminates a year-long campaign that seeks to make a difference in the lives of thousands of children in need of permanent, safe, and loving homes in this country. CCAI is a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness about the tens of thousands of foster children in the US. Hallmark US reaches nearly 48 million subscribers. The programme service is distributed through 1,700 cable systems, DirecTV (Channel 312) and EchoStar (DISH Channel 185) direct-to-home satellite services across the country.