Researchers at the University of Essex and the University of Kent are hoping to find natural mothers interested in taking part in a paid study exploring ways to process the loss and other associated emotions when a child is taken without parental consent.
Dr Samantha Davey and Dr Stella Bolaki have shared more information about the project, which we’re adding below:
“We are looking for birth mothers [you can explain why you prefer the term ‘natural mothers’ if you contact them] whose children have been adopted to take part in a paid research study located at the University of Kent. This is part of a joint initiative between Dr Samantha Davey (University of Essex) and Dr Stella Bolaki (University of Kent).
The study has three main parts: two short telephone interviews and attendance of an art book workshop, looking at ways of reflecting and exploring grief and other emotions related to the adoption process. There is the potential for involvement in video recordings and blogging but there is no requirement to take part in this aspect of the study.
Participants will be paid for their time, travel expenses and cost of child care. If you or someone you know might be interested in taking part, please e-mail Dr Davey at smdave@essex.ac.uk.”
If you are interested but would like to ask questions before engaging, you can also get in touch with Dr Davey.
We imagine a great many of you will feel wrongful removal is a key element which should not be ignored in this kind of research. You can tell the researchers why unjust removals or forced removals create obstacles to any benefits this kind of healing process is trying to offer. It is important for them to understand.
We have attached the full proposal in the gallery below.
Thanks to Paul Brian Tovey who alerted us to this research.
Researching Reform 
This isn’t important research. I understand art has a time and a place but not when the scandal is as urgent as this one. This is a waste of time and resources and frankly quite insulting.
It reminds me of that ridiculous piece of ‘research’ about tattoos.
It just undermines and showcases the situation in a cheap way.
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It’s necessary for some people to have other means to soothe and help the hell inside them .. Continual half grieved loss of a child or family is hell . Some people do not survive and it cannot be quickly over as some people wish ..
Many of us gradually work to reform or alter the stupid systems we have .. But let people paint and realise it calms too , and aids grief to be survivable ..
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Sad about the top comment .. Some people need soothing too and to be able to process feelings so that they can actually bear to be alive ..
I’ve done it as an child abused Adoptee in Art Therapeutics and Therapy .. You have to use what you can to live inside the trauma that is often leftover in you ..
There’s just no quick solutions on the edge and ledge of life in loss and hell ..
You just have to use what you can alongside practical fighting measures when you can ..
I’ll tell you this though not everyone can fight it out grimly all the time ..The tough adult way leads to crisis sometimes without soothing ways .
There’s also time for rest and aiding your mind to work the trauma in a different way ..
Jeese .. How much experience have some of you got in Mental Health Scenarios? I have 50 years now (not from from age 70) and know that people have use many ways to survive long struggles with the provocative State , Law and the trauma it brings ..
Ease off on your opinions a bit ..
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I’ve already done it:
Click to access 02Whole.pdf
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315044101-4/abject-mothers-women-separated-babies-lost-adoption-patricia-farrar
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Origins America would be happy to share the results of our Baby Scoop Era Mother Survey, if you are interested. Please contact me at karenwb2@verizon.net
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I will be happy to share my stuff as my child has been removed and foster adopted. Please help xxxx
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Hi, thank you for your comment. I’m very sorry to hear about your case. I’m Natasha, the founder of Researching Reform. You’re welcome to email me at Sobk13 at gmail dot com.
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This has affected me (and my family) for over 50 years and nothing will ever ease that pain
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I think that this will prevent many mothers who are elderly and/or have disability or illness issues from taking part. It is not inclusive and I’m sure excluding this group of people due to the need to travel will affect the outcome of the research
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I was forced to give up my child in ashofrd Kent I was 16 years old being abused by my father I know the child was not his
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I’ve lost all three of my kids
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I’m so sorry to hear this, I can’t imagine how you must be feeling.
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After years of my looking for published research and in progress research, I had no idea about the series of research that’s been happening, because until today I couldn’t find anything.
I really cannot put into words of how happy my heart is about this!
Society really does not realise (or maybe even care) how dangerous forced adoption is, both to the natural parents and the adoptees. Non uk research found that both are 5x more likely to be at risk of ending their lives and I can sadly say I am part of that statistic.
We need more support and research for natural parents, not just to save the adults lives and to support them in their grief process but also because (whether people like to see/admit it or not) it directly impacts adoptees themselves.
I am sick and tired of natural parents being villianised, when in most circumstances, forced adoption wasn’t necessary. It really does cost lives and providing appropriate support with research behind it, won’t remove the trauma of what happened, but will potentially reduce further life long harm from society.
Genuinely am so thankful you’re doing something to research into it.
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Anony, I completely agree with you, it’s a waste of time, and also in a variation of ways insulting.
From my prospective, instead of the researchers from the University of Essex and the University of Kent, wasting their time and money, exploring ways to process the loss and other associated emotions when a child is taken without parental consent.
Their time and money would be better well spent, exploring ways to intercept, expose and ultimately stop in their tracks, the evil and corrupt individuals.
Individuals such as;
Social workers, their managers, IRO’s, CAFCASS representative, Judges, police officers, General Practitioners, NHS representative, nursery, primary & secondary headteacher’s, teachers, etc etc.
Who criminally work together collectively, within the multi agencies, to purposely, premeditatedly, completely destroy family, after family, after family, after family!
Crime prevention right?.
If we can prevent human beings from suffering emotionally, psychologically, and physically.
Then we need to eradicate the problem that we all see before our eyes. Instead of knowingly pretending, that we don’t know what the problem is or how to solve it.
Attempting to implement dead end solutions that we all know are not going to work, specifically due the fear of losing financial stability, due to the fear of ridicule, due to the fear of losing everything, and last but not least due to the fear of having our life’s taken.
Specifically for saying no we are not going to take this anymore, standing up and not backing down, from the evil ones who are in complete control of our world.
Stand up and take action!
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