https://plainsmenpost.com/forced-adoption-mothers-say-national-apology-not-enough-call-for-deep-reforms-to-cure-atrocities/?fbclid=IwAR1vGrmuniDMlx9W75RAxELHcUPSIDwMq6SWb8zyXEBSGw7HwdfOC0eGPUoForced Adoption: Mothers Say National Apology ‘Not Enough’, Call for Deep Reforms to Cure ‘Atrocities’
George Holan
January 30, 2022
The Adoption Apology Movement in Scotland has highlighted calls for much-needed mental health support for mothers and changes to the management of adoption registries, which remain closed to fathers for 100 years. The campaign has also called for a permanent memorial for those affected, with adoption often presented as the only option, both by many families and health professionals, given the social attitudes of the time towards single mothers. Many women have spoken of a life of shame, trauma, and secrets that followed. It is estimated that around 60,000 women in Scotland were affected by such adoptions, with the period between the 1950s and early 1980s now in the spotlight. Jeannot Farmer, now 65, says a national apology for forced adoption must be met with mental health support and reforms in access to adoption records. Jeannot Farmer, 65, from MAA Scotland, spoke as the Scottish Government announced it would start collecting experiences from women in order to establish the support and action required. The campaign has worked closely with mothers in Australia, where a national apology was issued in 2013, but only after similar reforms were agreed and millions of dollars were released for mental health support. Ms Farmer, a retired teacher from Glasgow who lost her son to forced adoption when she was 22, said she “fundamentally disagreed” with the view that the Scottish government should move quickly towards an apology, given that the Talks have been quietly held with the mothers for several years. Jeannot Farmer became pregnant at the age of 22 and was separated from her son shortly after giving birth. The retired teacher now campaigns for reforms to help mothers and children affected by forced adoption. Mrs Farmer said: “If you get a quick apology, just go away. It garners a great deal of sympathy, but fails to address the fundamental issues facing those involved in forced adoptions. A very quick apology without these reforms is not enough. If we were to accept an apology without specific mental health support, it would be cruel to women who emerge from the shadows and then have nowhere to go.”
In a permanent memorial, Ms Farmer added: “We want something to communicate that an atrocity happened.”
The campaign has produced five recommendations, including an independent body to manage adoption records and the creation of a national database. Ms Farmer said: “We have no right to access information about our children. You’ve been through this horrible experience and you can’t rationalize it. The records are one of the ways you can try to unravel what happened.”
Mrs. Farmer became pregnant as a student and consulted with social services about the adoption, but no agreement was reached prior to the birth. She described childbirth at the now-closed Bellshill Maternity Hospital in 1979 as abusive, and says she believes “politics and culture” toward single mothers underpinned her experience. Within hours of asking where the nursery was so she could see her son, a request that was refused, she was transferred to Hairmyres Hospital in East Kilbride without her baby. Children’s Minister Clare Haughey offered her “sincere condolences” to those affected, saying: “It is heartbreaking that there have been practices in the past that have resulted in some women feeling compelled to give up their children. Listening to these voices will help us understand what support and action is needed. I hope we can work together to explore the next steps.”
