Disabled mothers, working-class mothers and mothers of colour will talk about the discrimination and hostility they faced by social workers and family law professionals at an event taking place on Thursday 23rd March, 2023.
The conference, which will be held in-person and online, is a Women’s History Month event organised with the University of East Anglia Students’ Union and hosted by the Disabled Mothers’ Rights campaign. The event will take place on 23rd March at 6 PM UK time.
The press release for the event said:
The Disabled Mothers’ Rights Campaign, together with the Support Not Separation (SNS) coalition, worked with Channel 5 News for a feature and research about disabled parents, mostly mothers. It was broadcast on 25 January 2023.
We will watch these videos:
- Channel 5 News – Disabled mothers’ struggle against discrimination (10 mins)
- Fighting forced adoption — Jean Eveleigh and Tye aged 19 (47 mins) video
Jean and her child Tye gave an emotional interview about the forced adoption they suffered. They reunited after 17 years apart. Jean says: “Time was stolen from us.” Tye says: “I could have had her growing up. I could have had someone that fought for me relentlessly. And I didn’t get that. And I should have.”
There will also be a live Q&A on Zoom with the Disabled Mothers’ Rights Campaign and Support Not Separation.
To attend the event at the university, you will need to go to: Room 6, Union House, University of East Anglia campus, Norwich NR4 7TJ Book here — student login needed. Map
The Zoom link for those who wish to attend online can be accessed here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87950019435?pwd=cmRUVW13anlPV3RLYVBYZXVYMXNNQT09
Meeting ID: 879 5001 9435
Passcode: 986425
Many thanks to SNS for sharing this event with Researching Reform.
Researching Reform 
After i gave birth to my daughter in 2016, 2 social workers came to the hospital handing me a form telling me that i was to sign this letter to say i was willing to sign my baby over for adoption and my son to go into care, i of course refused to sign the letter and was told that they would be taking my children the next day if i signed the letter or not. And that they had applied for an epo order therefore were going to court the next morning they said i was not aloud to attend the court and if i left the hospital this meant i would be leaving my baby as i was unable to take my children home with me. The epo order was refused in the court but the social workers still said i was unable to go home and that i had to see a physiologist and a psychiatrist first and if they agreed i could leave the hospital then i could. Which of course i did and they both agreed i could go home the social then lied and said she had not agreed to this at all. Any how a week later i was finally able to go home with my children on the condition i see different services at my home every day of course i agreed and all was good there were no concerns from any service that were calling to see us. But then 3 or 4 weeks later the sw that i spoke to at the hospital came to my house telling me they were taking me back to court to apply for a care order i at that point didn’t have a clue what a care order was. I remember crying asking her why what had i done wrong, she said that a complaint from a member of the public had been made against me that they had received an anonymous phone call in regards to my parenting and this was cause for concern. I asked why and who would do that when i knew i had done nothing wrong. She said she could not share any of that information with me. Any how in January 2017 i went to court and the care order was refused i didn’t have a clue what was going on. But ss were not happy that the care order was refused and therefore made more lies up to apply for a care yet again. I was taking to court about 5 times until in the end the social worker told me that in order for me to keep my children i would have to accept the care order and this be the only way i could keep my children living at home with me and the LO would share parental rights with me either i agree to this or they take my children. Having no legal representative to explain to me what all this meant i was confused what was going on. So i agreed the social worker that day for court had met me half an hour but told lies and said he had been working with me and my family for a few weeks, i could not believe the lies that he was telling when i tried to speak i was told to be quiet and not to speak until i was asked to. I never got the chance to speak that day and the care order was granted. 6 years on social services still remain waiting for me to slip up but as a loving parent that will not happen. But they make our lives a misery the worst thing about it is that it’s all based on lies. Due to having so many different sw come and go it’s like each time a different one comes along we’re back to square one. I feel lucky of course to still have my children at home with me, it is only when i read story’s about forced adoption that i feel the parents pain and therefore feel my story needs to be told. Amen
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