e-6782 (Social affairs and equality)

Petition to the Government of Canada

• Over 350,000 unmarried, young, pregnant women were victims of forced adoption practices during the postwar decades. Canada’s postwar adoption policies have caused irreparable harm and trauma to these unmarried mothers, their children, and families;
• The Senate Report “The Shame Is Ours, Forced Adoption of The Babies of Unmarried Mothers in Post-War Canada” was issued in July 2018 and called for a formal public apology from the Government of Canada to be delivered in Parliament within one year of the report’s release;
• The Shame Is Ours Senate Report issued four recommendations, none of which have yet to be acted upon;
• Laws surrounding adoption records have prevented many of these children from knowing their own identities;
• The shame and secrecy surrounding these forced adoptions has resulted in the prevention of these mothers and children receiving counselling and support to deal with their trauma;
• The lack of support available to families during the reunification process often results in further harm subsequently leading to the unsuccessful reunification of families;
• The Australian Government issued an apology on March 21st 2013, the Irish Government on October 30th, 2020, Scotland on March 22, 2023, and Wales on April 25, 2023.