When a British mother loses her child to adoption, she decides to try to access her son’s birth certificate, after being told by a friend that adoptions are not always properly registered.

In this podcast, Shelby* talks to the Voice of the Child about the extraordinary discovery she makes when she finally manages to access her son’s birth and adoption certificates.

Shelby*, who now campaigns to change the law on adoption registrations, explains the story behind her case, how the adoption process affected her son, and why she would like to see a mandatory duty in law which ensures all birth parents receive a copy of their child’s adoption certificate.

You can listen to the podcast here. 

Further Reading

First illegal adoption case launched in High Court (31 January, 2020)

There may be 15,000 illegal adoptions, Barnardos head claims

Freedom of Information Request on Errors in Adoptions

The Adoption Certificate Process (Includes samples of genuine certificates)