The British And Shower Governments publicly apologized on Thursday to people affected by the forced relocation and adoption of children in the second half of the last century.
In England, between 1949 and 1976, the state and the Christian Church created a system that targeted young unmarried women who had children out of wedlock and encouraged them to give up their babies in order to conform to the social norms of the time. Historians estimate that thousands of unmarried mothers in the UK had their babies abducted and adopted without free and informed consent. A appreciated 300,000 to 500,000 children in the UK and US Republic of Ireland were separated from their mothers in this way.
As a solution, specialized Mother-child houses were created, and they would spare unmarried women from their shameful deeds. However, more often than not they were kidnapped against their will, during pregnancy or after birth, with the end goal of giving their babies up for adoption, which was presented as a morally righteous campaign since it was supported by the Church of England at the time.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer formally apologized in Parliament to all women who were subjected to such cruel treatment: “On behalf of the whole country, I say this to every single person affected: we are deeply sorry.” Starmer told Parliament that what happened to the victims was a “stain on our history”.
Also the Church of England apologized for its role in historical adoption practices, particularly in mother and child homes, and states: “Today we say to each of you: the shame you felt was wrong. You have nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, we are deeply ashamed that this happened to people in the care of Christian communities.”
Starmer announced that the government would also provide a £4 million support package, including easier access to adoption records, funding for intermediary services such as Family Connect that help people reconnect with family members, and support for research and testimonial projects documenting the long-term impact.
The Netherlands is in a similar situation to the United Kingdom, where around 15,000 newborn children were given up for adoption under pressure in 1956 and 1984. State Secretary Van Bruggen apologized on behalf of the Cabinet to birth mothers, relinquished children and fathers for the government’s role in forced abandonment and adoption. This apology was expected after the Dutch cabinet said in April that it would formally apologize to people affected by the forced relocation of children.
Both countries are now focusing on supporting affected families by developing recommendations and planning measures aimed at recognizing and recovering those affected.
