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Mothering differently: narratives of mothers with intellectual disability whose children have been compulsorily removed
- Authors:
- MAYES Rachel, LLEWELLYN Gwynnyth
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 37(2), June 2012, pp.121-130.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
In Australia parents with intellectual disability are significantly more likely to have their children removed than parents with other disabilities. This qualitative study aimed to explore and describe the daily life narratives of 7 mothers with intellectual disability following the involuntary removal of their children. Participants were recruited through a family support service for parents with intellectual disability whose children had been removed through statutory child protection proceedings. Narratives were gathered through semi-structured in-depth interviews about experiences prior to and following removal of the child or children. The 7 mothers had experienced child removal on 14 separate occasions. The article reports on the multiple and varied stories of the mothers, with illustrative examples from the interviews, covering the 3 distinct narratives identified: "living as the mother I am", "living as the mother I should be", and "not feeling like a mother any more". The authors discuss the findings and their implications
Disability and discrimination in statutory child protection proceedings
- Authors:
- McCONNELL David, LLEWELLYN Gwynnyth
- Journal article citation:
- Disability and Society, 15(6), October 2000, pp.883-895.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Families headed by parents with intellectual disability are among the most vulnerable in the community. Poverty, social isolation and the lack of adequate support services all threaten their well-being. People with intellectual disability who are parents must also contend with out-of-the-ordinary treatment in statutory child protection proceedings. Legal scholars writing mainly in the North American context cite cases in which the children of these parents have been removed despite lack of evidence of abuse or neglect, or when evidence was refuted or, indeed, even when the parent was shown to be providing adequate care. In cases of substantiated abuse and/or neglect, support has not been given to the parent or parents before their children were removed. In this paper, the authors describe these discriminatory actions and discuss the political, social and institutional conditions that have led to such extreme consequences for people with intellectual disability who also happen to be parents.