The forced adoptions of babies born to unmarried mothers in post-war Britain
In short
Between 1949 and 1976, around 185,000 babies of unmarried mothers were adopted in England and Wales, according to a 2022 Joint Committee on Human Rights report. Many mothers were sent to mother and baby homes and pressed to give up children they wanted to keep. In March 2023 the then government expressed sorrow but declined a formal apology.
What the full article will cover
- Why were unmarried mothers pressured to give up their babies?
- What were mother and baby homes?
- What did the 2022 parliamentary report find?
- How did the UK government respond?
- What happened in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
- What support exists for mothers and adopted people today?
Frequently asked questions
- How many babies were adopted from unmarried mothers in the UK?
- Who ran mother and baby homes?
- Has the UK government apologised for forced adoption?
- Can adopted people access their records?
Sources
- publications.parliament.uk — https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/jt5803/jtselect/jtrights/270/summary.html
- committees.parliament.uk — https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/93/human-rights-joint-committee/news/186498/government-responds-to-jchr-call-for-adoption-apology
- en.wikipedia.org — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forced_adoption_in_the_United_Kingdom
General information, not legal or religious advice.