BASW issues formal, unreserved apology to mothers who suffered forced adoption of their children between 1949-1976

We recognise and accept responsibility for morale welfare workers – a precursor to social workers – many of whom pressured unmarried mothers to give up their children for adoption

As a reflective profession, it is only right that the social work sector recognises these injustices and apologises unreservedly. 

BASW Interim CEO, Professor Sam Baron

Today, the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) issues a formal, unreserved apology to the estimated 185,000 unmarried mothers who suffered forced adoption of their children between 1949-1976, due to pressure applied through the state, churches and emerging social work profession – known at the time as morale welfare workers. 

“BASW is issuing this apology following a motion from our members at our 2026 AGM and we completely agree that we, as the voice of social work, need to acknowledge the history and responsibility of morale welfare workers from this time,” says BASW interim CEO, Prof. Samantha Baron.

“Mothers had their children removed from them without their informed consent, which would have caused unimaginable pain and trauma. As a reflective profession, it is only right that the social work sector apologises and recognises these injustices and the lasting trauma endured by affected women, children and families.”

History and context

Moral Welfare Workers worked predominantly with unmarried mothers.  Their working environment environments and their religious and ethical values contributed significantly to these practices.

BASW was formed in 1970 by amalgamating several organisations, whose membership included Moral Welfare workers (Particularly the Moral Welfare Workers Association).

Ahead of BASW’s AGM in September 2026, members from the Black Country Branch proposed a motion on ‘Forced Adoption’. 

They called upon BASW to issue an unreserved formal apology to the unmarried mothers who due to pressure from the state, Church and morale welfare workers, as well as other professionals, believed they had no choice but to relinquish their babies for adoption.

Background research includes work by Dr Michael Lambert, of Lancaster University, who looked at the role of social workers, including examining BASW and its predecessors’ archives at Warwick University. 

He specifically looked at the Moral Welfare Worker Association, many of whose members were involved in Adoption prior to the 1973 Houghton Report, which led to a strengthening of children’s rights.

The Black Country Branch of BASW stressed that their “…motion is not meant as a criticism of adoptive parents directly, or of social workers who were following the law and policy of the time, (and sometimes following the directive of faith organisations), and we recognise many adoptions were successful.

“We argue that as key professionals, we need to recognise the long-term impact on mothers who had their children taken away, and the pain felt by adoptees.”

For more background information please see the campaigning organisations of mothers and adoptees:

https://movementforanadoptionapology.org/ 

Adult Adoptee Movement – Adoptee Voices. Adoptee Rights.

Recent developments

The issue has been looked at by the Commons Education Select Committee and the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR), and their reports are available on the Parliament.uk website, which also includes a Committee Corridor podcast on the subject and a 2023 JCHR report, The Violation of Family Life: Adoption of Children of Unmarried Women 1949–1976. 

Several governments and the Australian Association of Social Workers have issued formal apologies for forced adoption practices.

On July 2nd 2026, British Prime Minister at the time, Sir Keir Starmer, formally apologised on behalf of the UK government for historic forced adoption practices in England that largely targeted unmarried mothers between 1949 and 1976.