The foster care system is a microcosm of the larger social welfare
system in the United States and reflects the same gender, class, and
racial inequities. Women, as key actors in the foster care system, struggle with conflicting expectations of mothering, representations of
family, and definitions of expertise that are inherently disempowering.
This article examines women's roles as birth mothers, foster mothers,
and social workers; outlines a conceptual framework for analyzing the
problems women confront; and proposes a reorientation of thinking
and practice in foster family care from a feminist perspective.
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