MEDIA & PRESS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 2, 2026
UK Issues Historic State Apology for Forced Adoption — A Critical Moment for Canadian Survivors
Today, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivered a formal state apology for the British government’s role in historic forced adoption practices. The apology acknowledges that an estimated 185,000 babies were taken from their mothers through coercion, pressure, and systemic discrimination against unmarried women.
In his address to the House of Commons, Starmer called these practices “a stain on our history” and told survivors: “The shame is not yours. The shame was never yours. The shame is ours.” He emphasized that forced adoptions were not isolated incidents, but systemic practices embedded across local authorities, religious organizations, and parts of the NHS, carried out without compassion, consent, dignity, or safeguards.
The UK government also announced a £4 million support package to improve access to adoption records, strengthen reunion services, and establish support groups for mothers and adopted adults.
This apology is a landmark moment for Canadian survivors. It demonstrates that national governments can confront the truth, acknowledge systemic wrongdoing, and take responsibility for the harm caused. Canada has yet to issue a national apology for its own forced adoption practices, which impacted more than 350,000 Canadian families — mothers, adoptees, fathers, siblings, and entire extended families whose lives were permanently altered by state‑sanctioned separation.
Our own national apology is long overdue.
Canadians for a National Apology calls on the Government of Canada to follow the UK’s example and formally acknowledge the systemic forced adoption practices that harmed hundreds of thousands of Canadian families, and to begin the long‑overdue work of truth‑telling, recognition, and repair.
Contact:
Canadians for a National Apology
www.nationalapology.ca
Media Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
National Campaign Calls on Government of Canada to Issue Long‑Overdue Apology for Coercive Adoption Practices
A national coalition of survivors, advocates, and supporting organizations is calling on the Government of Canada to issue the formal National Apology recommended by the Senate of Canada in its 2018 report, *The Shame Is Ours*. The report documented the coercive and discriminatory adoption practices that separated more than 350,000 mothers from their newborns between the 1940s and the 1980s.
On May 26, 2026, a federal petition calling for the apology was read in the House of Commons, triggering the government’s 45‑day response window. Survivors and advocates are urging the government to act on the Senate’s findings and acknowledge the harm caused by these practices.
“These were not isolated incidents,” the campaign stated. “The Senate documented systemic coercion, discrimination, and profound lifelong trauma. A National Apology is a necessary step toward truth, recognition, and healing.”
The campaign’s Open Letter, available for organizational sign‑on, calls on the federal government to fulfill the Senate’s recommendation and issue the apology without further delay.
For more information, visit the campaign website or contact the media representative listed below.
MEDIA ADVISORY
Survivors and Advocates Call for Federal Action on Coercive Adoption Practices
Survivors, advocates, and supporting organizations are calling on the Government of Canada to issue the National Apology recommended by the Senate of Canada in its 2018 report, *The Shame Is Ours*.
Key Details:
- What: National call for a formal apology for Canada’s postwar coercive adoption practices
- Why: The Senate’s 2018 report documented systemic coercion and recommended a National Apology
- When: Following the reading of federal petition e‑6782 in the House of Commons on May 26, 2026
- Where: National campaign website and coordinated outreach to Members of Parliament
- Who: Survivors, advocates, and supporting organizations across Canada.
Media are invited to review the Senate report, the campaign’s Open Letter (organizational sign‑on only), and the press release for further context.
Interviews are available upon request.
Backgrounder: Coercive Adoption Practices in Canada
Between the 1940s and the 1980s, more than 350,000 mothers in Canada were separated from their newborns through coercive and discriminatory adoption practices. These practices disproportionately targeted unmarried mothers, who faced stigma, pressure, and systemic barriers that left them with little or no choice.
In 2018, the Senate of Canada released *The Shame Is Ours*, a comprehensive report documenting these practices. The Senate found that:
- Mothers were routinely pressured, coerced, or forced into surrendering their babies
- Social workers, medical staff, and institutions operated within discriminatory systems
- Many mothers were denied information, support, or the ability to parent
- The trauma of separation has had lifelong impacts on mothers, the children taken from them, and families
The Senate issued a clear recommendation:
The Government of Canada should issue a formal National Apology.
To date, this recommendation has not been acted upon.
The current national campaign seeks to ensure that the federal government fulfills this recommendation and acknowledges the harm caused by these practices.
Press Conference
A full recording of the press conference is available here:
MP Gould and Senator Petitclerc Speak About Forced Adoptions – May 26, 2026 - Headline Politics - CPAC.ca
Key Documents
Senate Report: The Shame Is Ours (2018)
This report documents the coercive and discriminatory adoption practices that separated more than 350,000 mothers from their newborns between the 1940s and the 1980s. It includes the recommendation for a National Apology.
The Shame is Ours: Forced Adoptions of the Babies of Unmarried Mothers in Post-war Canada
Open Letter (Organizational Sign‑On Only)
The Open Letter outlines the national call for the Government of Canada to issue the apology recommended by the Senate. Organizations wishing to add their name can find instructions on the Sign‑On page.
Media Contact
For interviews, background information, or access to additional materials, journalists may contact:
Media Relations
Canadians for a National Apology
nationalapology@gmail.com
About This Campaign
This campaign is a non‑partisan, survivor‑led effort to ensure that the Government of Canada acts on the Senate’s 2018 recommendation for a National Apology. It is grounded in the findings of *The Shame Is Ours* and supported by organizations across the country.
Follow the campaign on Instagram: @canadiansforanationalapology