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<p>The government has great sympathy for those affected by historical adoption practices.
Our hearts go out to the parents and children of those involved. Although from a modern
perspective these practices are clearly wrong, they took place at a time when society
shared very different values.</p><p><br> Thankfully society today takes a very different
attitude to single parents. Lessons of the time have been learned and led to significant
changes to legislation and practice. Single parents are now supported to help ensure
that children and their families stay together, and children are only removed permanently
by a court, without the consent of the parents, if it is satisfied that the child
is suffering significant harm or is likely to suffer significant harm.</p><p> </p><p>Parents
now have legal representatives appointed to support them, to ensure their views are
heard and that evidence put forward can be challenged. In addition, NHS maternity
services now have robust policy guidance and processes in place to safeguard care
for vulnerable women and babies.</p><p> </p><p>A range of help and support is available
for those affected by historical adoption practices. For example, they can access
intermediary services, provided by local authorities, voluntary adoption agencies
and registered adoption agencies, to help them trace their birth children or birth
parents and establish whether contact is possible. Birth relatives and adopted adults
can also add their details to the Adoption Contact Register at the General Register
Office to find a birth relative or an adopted person.</p><p> </p><p>We recognise that
none of the above can change the heartbreak and impact of things done in the past
and repeat again our deepest sympathy for all those affected.</p>
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