UK government and Christian churches oversaw system that separated 185,000 babies from their mothers from 1949 to 1976.By AFP and ReutersPublished On 2 Jul 20262 Jul 2026United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer has issued a formal apology over the forced adoption of babies born to unmarried British mothers in the decades after World War II, describing the scheme as a “stain on our history”.Between 1949 and 1976, the British government and Christian churches oversaw a system that coerced and shamed mothers – many of whom were teenagers – into giving up their babies. An estimated 185,000 children were forcibly adopted.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listAddressing parliament on Thursday, Starmer said the government was “deeply and profoundly sorry” to “every single person impacted”.“The state did not do enough to protect mothers, children and families from harm, and for this systemic failure I am truly sorry,” he said.Starmer’s speech came weeks after the Church of England apologised for its role in forced adoptions, particularly running “mother and baby homes” where pregnant women were sent – often against their will – to be separated from their children.A parliamentary committee recommended an official government apology four years ago after an investigation found myriad abuses against mothers.Australia apologised for its own history of forced adoptions in 2013, followed by Ireland in 2021.In the UK, Starmer acknowledged the practice was systemically embedded “across local authorities, across voluntary and faith-based institutions and in health and social care services”.He said the government would spend £4 million ($5.3m) to help people access their adoption records, fund secondary services that work to reconnect relatives and seek research documenting long-term effects on victims. Advertisement ‘Shame and indignity’The 2022 parliamentary committee docum …
