Understanding the Experiences of Black Birthmothers who have had their Child(ren) Removed from their Care

Abstract

Research on the experiences of birthmothers who have had their child(ren) removed from their care is scant. Of that which is available, the majority has focused on the experiences of White women. It is well understood that within the UK and internationally, Black children are over-represented in child protection systems when compared to their non-Black peers. Despite this, no research to date has focused on the specific experiences of Black birthmothers. This is in the context of well-known structural and systemic inequalities within the UK and child protection systems, leaving Black families at significant disadvantage. This qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences of Black birthmothers who have had their child(ren) removed from their care. Five women from across England participated in semi-structured interviews exploring how they have made sense of their child being removed; additionally, it sought to better understand potential impacts of their ethnicity on this process. Using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, four master themes were identified: ‘ (M)othering from the margins’; ‘Birthmothers vs the state’; “If I looked like you…”: Navigating a racist system’ and ‘Finding the riverbank’. These themes reflect the recognised disadvantage of the birthmother population, as well as highlighting the additional deleterious impacts of ‘race’ and racism. Through a Critical Race Theory lens, areas of convergence and divergence with existing literature is identified, and further clinical and research implications discussed.