Historic adoptions
The Church of England has apologised for its role in historical adoption practices, particularly in Church-run mother and baby homes. Mothers and adoptees who came into contact with these homes have described the profound and lasting impact of these experiences.
The apology recognises the impact on people affected and sets out the Church’s commitment to listening, learning and responding with honesty and compassion.
Welcare's history
In 1894 the Bishop of Rochester, Randall Davidson, and his wife Edith launched the Diocesan Association for the Care of Friendless Girls, which would eventually evolve into Welcare.
Although Welcare and its predecessor organisations never operated as an adoption agency and therefore did not hold formal adoption papers, Welcare did support women who had been referred for support during their pregnancy. This support included help finding accommodation, including in mother and baby homes, and liaising between the mother, foster mother and the adoption agency. Not all referrals led to adoption – some mothers kept their babies and Welcare continued to offer support.
Records Location
Any records held have all been transferred to the London Metropolitan Archive or the relevant local authority records office.
If you wish to contact us about an historic adoption and believe that the mother was supported by Welcare in a south London borough or in East Surrey, please email us at info@welcare.org If you know where the baby was born we can usually identify the relevant local authority archive.
If you have been affected by an historic adoption, further information and support is available on the Diocesan website.