Australia practiced forced adoption for unmarried mothers from the 1930s to the early 1980s, with up to 250,000 affected. Single women were drugged or deceived into signing adoption agreements. The government issued apologies in 2010 and 2013, and has pledged $11.5 million for victims. Annual adoptions peaked at nearly 10,000 in 1972, and an estimated 60% of single mothers gave up their children in the 1960s.
From the 1930s until the early 1980s, Australia practiced forced adoption for unmarried mothers, a period referred to as the White Stolen Generation. Because of the stigma during the period for children born out of wedlock, some Australian hospitals believed these children would be better cared for by married couples. Single women were often drugged to enforce their signature on adoption agreements or were deceived into being told their babies were dead. The exact number of forced adoptions for unmarried mothers during this period is not known, but they are estimated to be up to 250,000. In 2010, the government’s first apology was issued by Western Australian officials and in 2013, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard issued an apology on behalf of the country as a whole.
Read more about adopting in Australia:
The number of annual adoptions in Australia reached its peak of nearly 10,000 in 1972.
In the 1960s, an estimated 60% of all single mothers in Australia gave their children up for adoption.
The Australian government has pledged the equivalent of US$11.5 million for victims of forced adoption.
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