A seminar organised by Legal Action For Women has been organised to gather evidence on how forced adoption affects children who have been removed from their mothers and separated from other family members.

The event, entitled “Do No Harm”, will be hosted by Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell MP.

Confirmed speakers include:

Andy Bilson, Emeritus Professor of Social Work, University of Central Lancashire, who will offer insight into new research on rising levels of investigation of families by social services and of children taken ‘into care’.

Victoria Childs, Psychotherapy and Counsellors Union, who will talk about the long term impact of separation from birth families.

Dr Radha Kothari, Clinical psychologist, who has been conducting research with mothers in order to improve the support mother receive.

Emma Lewell-Buck MP, Shadow Minister for Children & Families.

Lisa Longstaff, Women Against Rape – who will talk about how separation can be worse than witnessing domestic violence, as mentioned in a New York court ruling.

Anne Neale, Legal Action for Women, Suffer the Little Children & their Mothers. Anne will be offering updated findings from the past year’s self-help case work.

Shoda Rackal, Breastfeeding Peer Supporter, who will offer information about protecting the bond between mother and child.

Jean Robinson, Association for Improvement in the Maternity Services. Jean will talk about how the threat of having children taken stops mothers accessing services.

The seminar will also feature talks by a mother who kept her child, a mother who got her child back, and a grandmother whose grandchild was forcibly adopted.

The event will take place on Tuesday 11th September, from 6-8pm, in Committee Room 14 in the House of Commons. Everyone is welcome, and there is wheelchair access. Please also allow 30 mins to go through security. 

If you’d like to attend you can email  law@allwomencount.net  or call Legal Action for Women on 020 7482 2496.