ITV documentary marks 100 Years of Adoption
A documentary by ITV News’ Marina Jenkins, Bonds Beyond Birth: 100 Years of Adoption, was released on ITVX on Tuesday 4 August. Marina herself was adopted from Russia in 1997, wanted to create a feature celebrating adoption and what it has done for society to mark the centenary of legal adoption. The documentary examines why adoption was legalised in the 1920s, the subsequent impact, and the pressures facing the modern system and features interviewees including birth and adoptive parents, adoptees, social workers, Long Lost Family presenter Nicky Campbell and Coram CEO Dame Carol Homden.
ITV
August 2026
Government apologises for forced adoption practices
The government has apologised for forced adoption practices that occurred between 1948 and 1976. Coram CEO Dame Carol Homden described the apology as a significant step in acknowledging the lack of state protection which forced unmarried mothers to relinquish their babies when they could have cared for them.
July 2026
Adoption and the problem of illegitimacy
This is the second in a series of papers that explores these and other similar issues raised by the practice of domestic adoption in England and Wales over the last century. Others will be released over the course of the Centenary Year and eventually be brought together in a forthcoming book.
Professor Harriet Ward
June 2026
Interview: Claire and Sarah
BBC Radio London
March 2026
Is adoption legislation necessary? An introduction to a century of debate
Professor Harriet Ward
January 2026
The History of Adoption
Marking 100 years since the Adoption of Children Act 1926, this article explores how adoption in England and Wales has evolved. It highlights key reforms, current challenges, and how Coram is commemorating the centenary through stories, research and events reflecting the past, present and future of adoption.
January 2026