Forced adoption in Australia

Forced adoption in Australia was the practice of taking babies from unmarried mothers, against their will, and placing them for adoption. In 2012 the Australian Senate Inquiry Report into Forced Adoption Practices found that babies were taken illegally by doctors, nurses, social workers and religious figures, sometimes with the assistance of adoption agencies or other authorities, and adopted to married couples. Some mothers were coerced, drugged and illegally had their consent taken.[1] Many of these adoptions occurred after the mothers were sent away by their families 'due to the stigma associated with being pregnant and unmarried'.[2] The removals occurred predominantly in the second half of the twentieth century. According to Sydney Morning Herald journalist, Marissa Calligeros, it was a practice which has been described as 'institutionalised baby farming'.[3] In evidence given to the New South Wales Parliamentary Inquiry into Adoption, Centrecare's (Catholic Adoption Agency Sydney) Chief Social Researcher was quoted as admitting to "a stolen white generation."[4]

In response to the Senate Inquiry, on 21 March 2013 Prime Minister Julia Gillard offered a national apology to those affected by forced adoptions;[5][6] and outlined a range of other government responses.[7]

  1. ^ Commonwealth Contribution to Former Forced Adoption Policies and Practices. Canberra: Parliament of Australia. 29 February 2012. ISBN 978-1-74229-600-5. Retrieved 21 February 2019. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  2. ^ Cook, Henrietta (9 November 2012). "Uncanny resemblance helped quest for identity". The Age. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
  3. ^ Calligeros, Marissa (23 December 2010). "'Your son is gone. He's with his adoptive parents'". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  4. ^ NSW Legislative Council Standing Committee on Social Issues Report on Adoption Practices Second Interim Report Transcript of Evidence 16 June 1999 – 25 October 1999, Report 21, June 2000; page 140, line 43.
  5. ^ Gillard, Julia (21 March 2013). "National Apology for Forced Adoptions" (PDF). Attorney-General's Department. Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  6. ^ "National Apology for Forced Adoptions". Attorney-General's Department. Commonwealth of Australia. n.d.
  7. ^ "Australian Government response to the Senate Community Affairs References Committee Report: Commonwealth Contribution to Former Forced Adoption Policies and Practices". Forced Adoption Practices. Parliament of Australia. 21 March 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2019.