The Church of England has announced plans to apologise for its involvement in historical forced adoptions, a practice that affected roughly 185,000 children taken from their unmarried mothers between the end of the Second World War and 1976. During this period, the church operated about 100 mother and baby homes, often funded by the state, which were used to conceal unmarried pregnant women from society. Other religious and welfare organizations also ran similar institutions.
A draft apology obtained by the BBC states that the Church is “deeply sorry” and recognises “the lifelong impact of these experiences and the part the Church played in a system shaped by attitudes and behaviours that we now recognise as harmful. For the pain and trauma experienced — and still carried — by many women and children in church-affiliated mother and baby homes, we are deeply sorry.” Survivors have reported harsh conditions, punitive tasks, and systemic shaming.
Labour MP Ann Keen, who was sent to a church-run home after becoming pregnant at 17, described being forced to scrub steps while heavily pregnant and being repeatedly told she was selfish and sinful. She recalled being denied pain relief during labour and having her son taken from her on the seventh night, despite promises she could keep him for ten days. She did not see him again for more than thirty years.
While the UK government has yet to issue a formal apology, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has acknowledged the strong case for one and urged officials to work with campaigners to get the wording right. The Commons education committee has also called for an unqualified apology to survivors, citing the advancing age of those affected and the “unimaginable trauma” caused to mothers and the “profound, often devastating impacts” on children.
Research by Dr Michael Lambert has highlighted the systematic scale of harm caused by the Church’s policies, noting that an apology would shift the narrative from one of sin and shame to recognition of the suffering inflicted. Since late 2024, the Church of England has been investigating its involvement through archival research and conversations with survivors, moving toward a public acknowledgement of its historical role in forced adoptions.
