Historical Forced Adoption

Education Committee Open Non-inquiry session
Opened: 10 Feb 2026 Parliament page
In July 2022, the Joint Committee on Human Rights (the JCHR) published its report The Violation of Family Life: Adoption of Children of Unmarried Women 1949–1976 which examined the adoption practices in England and Wales during that time. In its report, the JCHR made a series of recommendations, including on … Read more
16 Recommendations
7 Conclusions
1 Report
2 Oral sessions
5 Letters
2 Events
Activity timeline 10 events
29 Apr
2026
Correspondence
27 Mar
2026
Report published
24 Mar
2026
Correspondence
24 Mar
2026
Correspondence
24 Mar
2026
Correspondence
10 Mar
2026
Oral evidence
10 Mar
2026
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
24 Feb
2026
Oral evidence
24 Feb
2026
Correspondence
24 Feb
2026
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Oral evidence sessions 2 sessions
10 Mar 2026
View on parliament.uk
Historical Forced Adoption
Ann Lloyd Keen · Movement for an Adoption Apology Debbie Iromlou · Adult Adoptee Movement Diana Defries · Movement for an Adoption Apology Josh MacAlister MP · Department for Education Sally Ells · Adult Adoptee Movement
24 Feb 2026
View on parliament.uk
Historical Forced Adoption
Brenda Farrell · Barnardo's Colonel Peter Forrest · The Salvation Army UK and Ireland Dr James Gallen · Dublin City University Dr Janet Greenlees · Glasgow Caledonian University Dr Michael Lambert · Lancaster University Emily Frith · Adoption UK Emma Crowther-Duncan · PAC-UK Professor Gordon Harold · University of Cambridge
Title HC No. Published Items Response
8th Report - Historical Forced Adoption HC 1713 27 Mar 2026 23 Overdue
Recommendations & Conclusions
23 results
1 Conclusion
8th Report - Historical Forced Ado…
We are in agreement as a Committee that the survivors’ testimony, which was a formal...
We are in agreement as a Committee that the survivors’ testimony, which was a formal Parliamentary proceeding and live broadcast, was some of the most powerful, moving and compelling evidence we have heard. We would like to place on the … Read more
Department for Education
View details
2 Conclusion
8th Report - Historical Forced Ado…
To give an idea of the scale of this issue, it is estimated that around...
To give an idea of the scale of this issue, it is estimated that around 185,000 children were adopted between 1949 and 1976. Not all adoptions happened in the appalling circumstances described by our lived experience witnesses - for example, … Read more
Department for Education
View details
3 Recommendation
8th Report - Historical Forced Ado…
Survivors of forced adoption must not have to repeat, in public, their harrowing stories anymore.
Survivors of forced adoption must not have to repeat, in public, their harrowing stories anymore. It is clear that decisive Government action, beginning with a co-authored apology, and continuing with a programme of fully funded support for survivors, must now … Read more
Department for Education
View details
4 Conclusion
8th Report - Historical Forced Ado…
Historical forced adoption practices involved systemic coercion, the removal of parental choice and often resulted...
Historical forced adoption practices involved systemic coercion, the removal of parental choice and often resulted in deep trauma and lifelong consequences for mental and physical health. A formal apology is necessary to acknowledge these harms and to recognise the state’s … Read more
Department for Education
View details
5 Conclusion
8th Report - Historical Forced Ado…
Furthermore, many of those affected - both mothers and adult adoptees - are now elderly,...
Furthermore, many of those affected - both mothers and adult adoptees - are now elderly, and any further delay risks denying them the recognition they have waited decades to receive. Given the advancing age of those affected, time is now … Read more
Department for Education
View details
6 Recommendation
8th Report - Historical Forced Ado…
The meaningful involvement of survivors in the design and implementation of an apology is essential...
The meaningful involvement of survivors in the design and implementation of an apology is essential to ensure that the apology validates their experiences and that the mitigations put in place thereafter support them directly. The Government must embed mothers and … Read more
Department for Education
View details
7 Recommendation
8th Report - Historical Forced Ado…
The Government must provide an unqualified, formal apology to all those affected by historical forced...
The Government must provide an unqualified, formal apology to all those affected by historical forced adoption practices, including unmarried mothers who were forced to give up their children for adoption, adult adoptees who were forcibly taken from their birth families, … Read more
Department for Education
View details
8 Recommendation
8th Report - Historical Forced Ado…
The Government must give an initial commitment to an apology, and must undertake the preliminary...
The Government must give an initial commitment to an apology, and must undertake the preliminary work for an apology - including working with survivor groups - as quickly as possible and commit publicly to a clear timetable for developing and … Read more
Department for Education
View details
9 Recommendation
8th Report - Historical Forced Ado…
The Government must work directly with mothers, adult adoptees and lived-experience organisations to co-author both...
The Government must work directly with mothers, adult adoptees and lived-experience organisations to co-author both the apology and the measures that follow it. Co-production should run through all subsequent commitments on accessing records, trauma-informed health support, intermediary services, research and … Read more
Department for Education
View details
10 Conclusion
8th Report - Historical Forced Ado…
Evidence shows that government policy decisions, funding arrangements and legislative frameworks shaped the environment in...
Evidence shows that government policy decisions, funding arrangements and legislative frameworks shaped the environment in which unmarried mothers were routinely denied any meaningful choice in whether or not they could keep their children and were often shamed and coerced into … Read more
Department for Education
View details
11 Recommendation
8th Report - Historical Forced Ado…
We are encouraged by the Minister’s acceptance that the state had a role in historical...
We are encouraged by the Minister’s acceptance that the state had a role in historical forced adoptions. However, the Government must go further by acknowledging the central role that the state had during this time. (Conclusion, Paragraph 39)
Department for Education
View details
12 Recommendation
8th Report - Historical Forced Ado…
The Government should formally and publicly recognise that the state played a central role in...
The Government should formally and publicly recognise that the state played a central role in enabling and sustaining historical forced adoption practices. Acknowledging this responsibility is essential in order to correct the public record, address previous misrepresentations, reduce the burden … Read more
Department for Education
View details
13 Conclusion
8th Report - Historical Forced Ado…
Survivors of historical forced adoption practices have stressed the profound emotional burden of continually recounting...
Survivors of historical forced adoption practices have stressed the profound emotional burden of continually recounting their experiences and the many years they have spent campaigning without feeling heard by Government. It is clear to us that ongoing, structured dialogue with … Read more
Department for Education
View details
14 Recommendation
8th Report - Historical Forced Ado…
The Government must listen to and engage with survivors of forced adoption practices.
The Government must listen to and engage with survivors of forced adoption practices. The Government should commit to a survivor engagement strategy that guarantees regular consultation and clear lines of accountability, both in the short term as the Government works … Read more
Department for Education
View details
15 Recommendation
8th Report - Historical Forced Ado…
The Government must undertake a rigorous assessment of international responses to historical forced adoptions, with...
The Government must undertake a rigorous assessment of international responses to historical forced adoptions, with special attention to the redress mechanisms introduced in Australia, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. This learning should inform a UK approach that avoids … Read more
Department for Education
View details
16 Recommendation
8th Report - Historical Forced Ado…
The Government must take urgent action to ensure that all existing adoption records are preserved...
The Government must take urgent action to ensure that all existing adoption records are preserved and protected from deterioration, destruction or loss. It should legislate to introduce a clear statutory duty on every record-holding institution to maintain and securely store … Read more
Department for Education
View details
17 Recommendation
8th Report - Historical Forced Ado…
The Government must take steps to ensure that all affected individuals receive timely, consistent and...
The Government must take steps to ensure that all affected individuals receive timely, consistent and transparent access to adoption records. This obligation should be underpinned by clear statutory duties requiring every record-holding body to maintain accurate records and meet nationally … Read more
Department for Education
View details
18 Recommendation
8th Report - Historical Forced Ado…
The Government should issue new guidance to local authorities to improve the experience of birth...
The Government should issue new guidance to local authorities to improve the experience of birth mothers and adult adoptees seeking information about their records, with additional resources provided to local authorities so that requests for access to records do not … Read more
Department for Education
View details
19 Conclusion
8th Report - Historical Forced Ado…
Beyond this, it was clear from our evidence that as well as safeguarding and maintaining...
Beyond this, it was clear from our evidence that as well as safeguarding and maintaining records, organisations holding records must ensure they take steps to respond to and help survivors in a way that is sensitive to the challenges for … Read more
Department for Education
View details
20 Recommendation
8th Report - Historical Forced Ado…
The Government must introduce a nationally funded and regulated intermediary service to ensure that all...
The Government must introduce a nationally funded and regulated intermediary service to ensure that all adoptees and birth relatives have access to skilled, trauma-informed professionals who can support them in navigating contact, reunion, or information-sharing processes safely and sensitively. As … Read more
Department for Education
View details
21 Recommendation
8th Report - Historical Forced Ado…
The Government must introduce a dedicated, trauma-informed health pathway for all those affected by historical...
The Government must introduce a dedicated, trauma-informed health pathway for all those affected by historical forced adoption. This should include improved access to specialist psychological support for birth mothers and adult adoptees, national clinical guidance recognising the heightened prevalence of … Read more
Department for Education
View details
22 Recommendation
8th Report - Historical Forced Ado…
Adult adoptees told us that one of the harms they experienced was the loss of...
Adult adoptees told us that one of the harms they experienced was the loss of their health records. The Government should introduce an adoption marker on health records so that requests for medical history can be sensitively handled and additional … Read more
Department for Education
View details
23 Recommendation
8th Report - Historical Forced Ado…
The Government should commission and fund independent research into historical forced adoption, including quantitative and...
The Government should commission and fund independent research into historical forced adoption, including quantitative and qualitative studies on outcomes and on best practice for support interventions, to build a comprehensive evidence base that informs future policy decisions and improves support … Read more
Department for Education
View details
Correspondence 5 letters
29 Apr 2026 Correspondence with Secretary of State on Historical Forced Adoptions dated 28.04.26 and 29.04.26
Parliament page
24 Mar 2026 To committee Letter from The Salvation Army on Historical Forced Adoption, dated 05.06.26
Parliament page
24 Mar 2026 To committee Letter from The Salvation Army on Historical Forced Adoption, dated 12.06.26
Parliament page
24 Mar 2026 To committee Letter from Barnardos on Historical Forced Adoption, dated 04.06.26
Parliament page
24 Feb 2026 To committee Letter from Natalie Don-Innes MSP, Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise on Historical Forced Adoption, dated 19.02.26
Parliament page