The Church of England has apologised for its role in adoption practices involving unmarried women and girls during the post-War period, with the Archbishop of Canterbury acknowledging the "pain, trauma and stigma experienced - and still carried - by many people".
The apology coincides with the publication of a report examining the Church's involvement in these practices between 1949 and 1976 when an estimated 185,000 children born to unmarried mothers in England and Wales were adopted.
The report says that the period under review was characterised by "a culture of shame, stigma and secrecy" surrounding pregnancies outside of marriage.
"Patriarchal ideas about female sexual purity and family identity are clear in the language often used about unmarried mothers at the time – ‘fallen’, ‘ruined’ – and in the labelling of their children as ‘bastards’," it reads.
"The shame of unplanned pregnancies among unmarried mothers was invariably borne by the woman involved, with the behaviour of men often ignored or excused, and there was little social expectation that fathers would have to address the consequences of their actions."
Some of the expectant mothers housed in the care homes were only teenagers. In some cases, they were admitted to homes far away from their families.
The Church of England was significantly involved in caring for unmarried pregnant women through diocesan mother and baby homes, and two national bodies - the Moral Welfare Council (MWC) and, after 1958, the Board for Social Responsibility (BSR).
The report finds that although official guidance often stated that mothers should be supported to keep their children where possible, the wider culture and social systems surrounding the homes and pregnancies of unmarried women limited their choices in reality and increased the likelihood of adoption.
It describes "dehumanising" attitudes towards women and children in the Church's care, with a "reforming and ‘corrective’ nature to a number of the homes" and children being referred to as “raw material” for adoption agencies.
"Guidance for chaplains ministering in mother and baby homes similarly emphasised that the mother had a right to her child and that the child, too, had a right to their mother," the report reads.
"Any adoption therefore would need to be consensual – as set out in the Adoption Act 1949 – and not the result of undue pressure.
"Yet this sat alongside language which expressed dehumanising and dismissive attitudes, falling short of what would be expected towards anyone in the church’s care, not least people who were rendered especially vulnerable by their circumstances."
It added, "In the adoption process itself, children were sometimes described in commodified terms, with the BSR and diocesan adoption societies citing the need for a central ‘clearing house’ where supply and demand could meet."
The report draws on testimonies from women who later felt unsupported and pressured, or in some cases separated from their babies against their will.
Elsewhere, conditions in some homes were described as poor, with problems like overcrowding, poor heating and inadequate facilities. Some personal testimonies detailed how expectant mothers were expected to undertake manual tasks while resident in homes.
"These poor conditions remain an important part of the collective memory of women within the homes," it says.
The report sets out the Church’s commitment to listening, learning and responding with honesty and compassion.
"The report is offered with a deep sense of sorrow for the reports of harsh treatment of mothers during this period, and with hope that it will be of service to the women and children whose lives were affected by what happened to them in mother and baby homes," it reads.
Giving the apology on behalf of the Church of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, said: “We are profoundly sorry for the pain, trauma and stigma experienced - and still carried - by many people because of historical adoption practices in homes affiliated to the Church of England.
“We have heard first-hand the accounts of mothers who were separated from their babies in circumstances where they had very few meaningful choices.
“We know that many women and girls were at times made to carry out menial and manual work as a form of ‘correction’.
“We also recognise where prejudice - including on the grounds of race and disability - shaped and defined experiences and outcomes.
“We are listening to the voices of people affected. They have told us about the pain, shame and indignity experienced both then and now.
“Today, we say to each of you: the shame you were made to feel was wrong. You have nothing to be ashamed of. Rather, we are deeply ashamed that this happened to people in the care of Christian communities."
She went on to say that such failings "must never happen again".
“All of this took place in a society that often valued secrecy and respectability over compassion and care. The Church of England was part of that society and helped to sustain those attitudes. While homes were encouraged to keep mothers and babies together, this often did not happen," she continued.
“For many mothers, children, fathers and wider families affected by these practices, the impact has been lifelong.
“These practices are in the past and must never happen again. We will not condone or repeat them. Our commitment now is to listen, to lament and to learn – to acknowledge this history and respond with openness, reflection and learning, and to ensure that this leads to change."
If you have been affected by this news or would like to speak to someone, the National PAC-UK Advice Line provides independent, confidential advice and information for people affected by adoption, special guardianship and other forms of permanent care and can be reached at family-action.org.uk/pac-uk or by calling 0300 1800 090.
Safe Spaces provides a confidential, personal and safe space for anyone who has been abused by someone in the Church, and is available at safespacesenglandandwales.org.uk
or via its helpline on 0300 303 1056.
Alternatively, you may wish to contact the diocesan safeguarding team in your area or the National Safeguarding Team at safeguarding@churchofengland.org.
