Survivors Describe Lifelong Scars from Forced Adoptions
In response to the UK government's apology for historical forced adoptions, survivors have shared harrowing accounts of the trauma they endured. One woman, who gave up her child in the late 1960s at age 20, described the experience as 'no choice at all.' She stated that without parental support or a trust fund, keeping her child was 'practically impossible.' Despite discovering that some state funding was available, she was never informed of it.
Another survivor, now 80, revealed that his birth mother did not live to hear Prime Minister Keir Starmer's apology. He recalled the pressure she faced to sign him away to a 'good Catholic family' that could not love him. He left that home at 15, was referred to child and adolescent psychiatry, and struggled with disrupted education, suicidal thoughts, and homelessness. He eventually built a family and professional life but always feared things would fall apart.
Lack of Support and Counseling Highlighted
Many survivors emphasized the absence of counseling after the adoption process. One woman said she had a breakdown after signing the papers and received 'lots of medication, but no counselling.' She later reconnected with her child after 22 years, but the relationship has been difficult. She noted that her trauma affected her relationships with subsequent children, stating, 'Something fundamental in me left with my child.'
The survivor now in his 80s found his birth mother in his 60s and experienced her unconditional love for the first time, which began his healing. However, he questioned what the state will do 'beyond therapy, helplines and testimonials' to expiate the shame it has now owned.
Calls for Concrete Action Beyond Apology
While the apology is welcome, survivors and readers argue that it rings hollow without tangible changes. One reader, an adoptive parent and kinship carer, noted that children are still being taken into care in large numbers, with siblings separated and families unsupported. She stated, 'The government’s apology to people who were forcibly adopted decades ago is welcome, but rings hollow in my ears without changes to better support vulnerable children now.'
Another reader highlighted the impact on adoptive families who took in children in good faith, providing loving homes. Helen Ryan from Blandford Forum, Dorset, said there is 'absolutely no excuse' for forced adoptions but noted that many adoptive families were kind and caring.
Historical Context and Ongoing Issues
The government's apology, delivered on 2 July 2026, addressed the state's role in the forced adoption of at least 185,000 children in England and Wales. Survivors and campaigners visited No 10 to meet Starmer before the apology. The letters published in response to David Batty's article highlight that while the practice of taking children from unmarried mothers has ended, the system continues to fail families through poverty and lack of public services.
One survivor concluded, 'The fallout from that cruelty has been with me all my life and will never leave.' The calls for redress include better support for vulnerable children and families today, not just an apology for past wrongs.
