On Thursday, the UK government formally apologised to mothers and adoptees affected by historical forced adoption in England. Survivors have waited a long time for this, but many affected first mothers, including my own, have already died, as well as many adoptees.
Scope of the Scandal
Between 1949 and 1976, an estimated 185,000 babies, including myself, were taken from unmarried mothers in England and Wales. These women were coerced into signing adoption consent forms due to a culture of shame surrounding pregnancy outside marriage. The reverend who oversaw my adoption in 1974 described my first mother, then 20 years old, as a “rebellious daughter” and “a determined but probably disturbed girl”.
Testimony of Survivors
Two parliamentary inquiries into historical forced adoptions heard harrowing testimony. Prof Gordon Harold of the University of Cambridge told the education committee earlier this year that the adoption system was “designed to punish and place – an unmarried mother is to be punished; a child is to be placed”. Former Labour MP Ann Keen, sent to a Swansea mother and baby home at 17 in 1966, recalled being told by hospital staff: “You will remember the pain because you’ve been a bad girl.” Sally Ells, co-founder of the Adult Adoptee Movement, said the loss of her original family “was never acknowledged”. “I felt alien throughout my childhood, and that is a feeling that persists,” she added.
Government Response and Gaps
The apology from Prime Minister Keir Starmer recognises that many unmarried mothers were denied the choice to keep their babies and made to feel ashamed, while children lost their identity and family history. The government announced a £4m support package to help adoptees access records, fund intermediary services for reunion, improve mental health support, and document the long-term impact. However, details are sketchy and significant gaps remain. Survivors need free high-quality therapy, not just better access to mental health support. Many adoptees end up estranged from both adoptive and original families due to reunion challenges.
Records and Health Screening
Better access to adoption records will help, but those who obtain their files often receive limited information due to poor record-keeping and gatekeeping. Some adoptees receive only a single page of vague information or heavily redacted forms. Adoptees also need screening for inherited health conditions; some discover hereditary disease risks only during reunion, aggravating stress. I was recently diagnosed with a kidney condition my maternal grandfather suffered from, originally misdiagnosed partly due to lack of family medical history.
Right to Original Identity
The apology made no mention of giving adoptees the right to revert to their original identity. This is important for those who experienced abuse, neglect, or racism in adoptive families. Adult adoptees in Australia can discharge their adoptions under reforms after the country apologised for forced adoption in 2013.
Current Adoption System Crisis
The government says things are different today, with strong legal safeguards and independent oversight. But the current system is in crisis: a growing number of adoptive families break up, with traumatised children returned to care due to lack of therapeutic support. Early intervention support for birth families has been cut due to austerity, contributing to the UK’s high rate of adoption without parental consent compared to other European countries.
Legacy of Forced Adoption
Policymakers and social workers must grapple with the legacy of forced adoption to ensure historic biases, like the idealised white middle-class nuclear family, no longer influence decisions. The agency handling my adoption opposed my maternal grandparents adopting me, citing an unnatural family setup. While professional attitudes have changed, kinship care in the UK still has scant support.
