Downing Street will issue a full apology on behalf of the state to those affected by historical forced adoption in England, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has confirmed. Testifying before the education select committee on Wednesday, she described the practice as a 'shameful period' in UK history and assured survivors they would receive the apology they 'so profoundly deserve.'
Apology Promised After Years of Advocacy
Phillipson's statement followed a committee report emphasizing that a formal public apology is essential to correct the public record and alleviate the suffering of mothers and adoptees. The report urged ministers to commit to an apology and collaborate with survivor groups on its wording.
'The prime minister will have more to say on this shameful period in our history, reflecting the gravity of what has happened,' Phillipson told MPs. 'But here and now, let me say to all of those affected, you will get the apology that you so profoundly deserve.'
Historical Context of Forced Adoption
Between 1949 and 1976, an estimated 185,000 babies were taken from unmarried mothers in England and Wales due to a culture of shame surrounding pregnancy outside marriage. Religious organizations ran most mother-and-baby homes, while charities and local authorities funded placements and found adoptive parents.
The Welsh and Scottish governments formally apologized for forced adoption in 2023, and the head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales issued an apology in 2016. Ireland and Australia have introduced financial compensation schemes after apologizing for the coerced removal of children from unmarried mothers.
Political and Public Response
Helen Hayes, chair of the education select committee, described hearing survivors' experiences as 'one of the most moving days I have experienced in parliament.' She noted that historical forced adoption practices 'coerced mothers and caused unimaginable trauma for multiple generations of women and profound, often devastating impacts for their children.'
A 2022 report by the UK government's joint committee on human rights recommended ministers apologize to unmarried women who were 'railroaded' into unwanted adoptions. The then-Conservative government expressed regret 'on behalf of society' but deemed a formal apology inappropriate, claiming the state did not actively support these practices.
