Forced Child Adoption

EDM number 77 in 2013-14, proposed by John Leech on 14/05/2013.
Categorised under the topics of Children and families, Children's social services and Human rights.

That this House recognises the suffering that forced child adoptions during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s caused, which took place due to social pressures on women who had children outside of marriage; notes the unacceptable adoption and care practices of the past, such as not giving information about welfare services including housing and financial help which were available at the time and not questioning whether women putting their children up for adoption had given informed consent; further recognises the negligence of previous Governments, with regard to ensuring that the care provided for unmarried mothers was appropriate and that they and their children were not mistreated or discriminated against, resulting in many women suffering traumatising pre and post-natal experiences and children being denied contact with their birth parents; further notes that the Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has this year apologised to the victims of forced adoptions in Australia; and therefore calls on the UK Government to apologise in order to go some way toward helping the parents and children who were victims of these practices.

This motion has been signed by a total of 46 MPs.