Committee publication · Correspondence · 24 February 2026
Letter from Natalie Don-Innes MSP, Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise on Historical Forced Adoption, dated 19.02.26
From: Education Committee
Inquiry: Historical Forced Adoption
Summary
Natalie Don-Innes, Scottish Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise, declines to attend the Education Committee's 24 February 2026 evidence session on historical forced adoption but outlines Scottish Government action: a 2023 national apology, £164,000 funding to Health in Mind for specialist trauma-informed support, £163,000 to Birthlink for adoption contact services, and an Oral History Project with campaigners to document survivors' testimonies.
Key findings
- First Minister Nicola Sturgeon issued a national apology in March 2023 for historical forced adoption practices; commemorative copies made available upon request.
- Scottish Government commissioned a scoping study (December 2023) to determine support needs; followed by five lived-experience engagement sessions in Summer 2024 identifying awareness-raising and realistic expectations as key themes.
- Health in Mind received £164,000 over four years to deliver trauma-informed peer-support groups and one-to-one counselling (up to ten weekly sessions) for mothers, adoptees and affected family members.
- Birthlink funded at £163,000 in 2025/2026 to operate the Adoption Contact Register, providing free intermediary services and tracing of birth relatives using trained volunteers and specialist social workers.
- Planned initiatives include bespoke historic forced adoption webpages on MyGov.Scot and an Oral History Project with Movement for Adoption Apology Scotland to preserve survivors' testimonies.
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Natalie Don-Innes MSP, Helen Hayes MP, Nicola Sturgeon, Health in Mind, Birthlink, National Records for Scotland, Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service, Movement for Adoption Apology Scotland
Notable line
“… those practices should not have happened, and it is right that we listen to the experiences of mothers and adoptees who continue to feel the impact.”
Key Quotes
“… those practices should not have happened, and it is right that we listen to the experiences of mothers and adoptees who continue to feel the impact”
“A key theme that emerged was the importance of increasing awareness and understanding of the impacts of historic forced adoption.”
“This service aims to support mothers, adoptees and other family members affected by historic forced adoption practices and offers access for up to ten weekly sessions.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗