Scotland's First Minister to apologise on Wednesday for forced adoptions from 1950s-1970s

In one of her final acts as Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon will make a formal apology in the Scottish Parliament tomorrow (Wednesday 21st) over the issue of forced adoption, with about sixty thousand unmarried mothers from the 1950s-1970s shamed and cajolled into handing over their babies for adoption.

For more on the background to the story visit www.sundaypost.com/fp/forced-adoption-victims-3/ and the reports of the UK Government's Joint Committee on Human Rights at https://committees.parliament.uk/work/1522/the-right-to-family-life-adoption-of-children-of-unmarried-women-19491976/publications/reports-responses/.

The apology will be made following Portfolio Questions at 2pm. To watch it live, view proceedings on Scottish Parliament TV at www.scottishparliament.tv.  

Chris

Pre-order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Scottish Government questionnaire on historic forced adoption

The Scottish Government (www.gov.scot) is inviting those who were affected by the issue of forced adoptions from the 1950s-1970s to fill in an online questionnaire to share their experience, in order to allow them to better understand and target support where it is needed for those affected. 

From the Government's website:

Historical adoption

Sadly, we know that there were practices in place in Scotland around the time of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s which resulted in new-born babies being unnecessarily taken away from unmarried mothers and placed for adoption, without any regard to the mothers and children’s own needs or wishes. People who experienced this have reported the long-lasting impacts on their health and wellbeing.

In June 2021, the First Minister made a commitment to fully consider the issue of historical adoption practices in Scotland. The Minister for Children and Young People, Clare Haughey, is grateful to have had the opportunity to hear from women, sons and daughters across the country who have taken the time to share their own personal stories and explain how it has affected their lives. We now want to open this conversation up more widely to hear from more people affected and to ensure they are able to access support.

Historical adoption questionnaire

We have developed an online questionnaire to invite views from anyone who has been affected by historical adoption in Scotland. And from those who may also wish to take the opportunity to share their story. This is so that we can continue to learn and understand about the support that is needed now and in the future. The questionnaire is available from 26 January 2022.

The Family Care Team in the Scottish Government would like to hear from anyone affected by these outdated adoption processes, their representatives and/or organisations with an interest in historical adoption practices in Scotland. 

Further details, including the links to the questionnaire and details of agencies that may be able to help if you have been affected by this issue, are available on the Government's website at https://www.gov.scot/publications/historical-adoption/ 

Chris

My new book Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records is now available to buy at https://bit.ly/IrishLandRecords. Also available - Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Irish adoptees to gain right to see original birth certificates

Quite a big development in Ireland - the forthcoming Birth Information and Tracing Bill from the Republic's government, if it becomes law, will permit adopted children the right to see their original birth certificates and to learn the identity of their birth parents. 

Until now the law in Ireland has provided rights of privacy to mothers who have given up their children for adoption, in preference to the rights of those who have been adopted. If enabled, the new law, which builds on recent GDPR legislation from the EU, will also inform adoptees whether their birth mothers wish to establish contact with them. Details of fathers, if recorded on the birth certs, will also be passed on.

For more on the story read the Irish Times story at https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/adopted-people-will-be-given-right-to-see-their-original-birth-certificate-1.4774214.

(With thanks to Shauna Hicks via Facebook)

Chris

My new book Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records is now available to buy at https://bit.ly/IrishLandRecords. Also available - Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Adopted children to be given right to see birth certificates in Ireland

A big story in the Republic of Ireland - from RTE:

Adopted people will be able to get access to their birth certificates even if a parent indicates they do not wish to be identified under new legislation published today.

Minister for Children Roderic O'Gorman said that nobody will be denied access to their information under the proposed new law.

Groups representing adoptees have repeatedly called for full access to information around their identities.

For the full story visit https://www.rte.ie/news/2021/0511/1221008-birth-certificates-adopted/

Chris

Just out, Sharing Your Family History Online is on sale at https://bit.ly/SharingFamHist. Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is also out, as are Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Irish1 and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scotland1. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.