Low-Income Mothers Without Custody: Who Are They and Where Are Their Children?

Abstract

Studied 8 respondents from a cohort of 518 urban, welfare mothers who had lost custody of all their children during the 17 mo following their selection into the study sample. Six Ss were in the neglectful category and 2 Ss were in the abusive category of maltreatment status. Findings reveal that (1) most of the children were living with relatives; (2) the majority of Ss had long-standing mental health problems, including depression and drug and alcohol abuse; and (3) most Ss not only wanted more children but were trying to get pregnant. A case example of a 32-yr-old, never-married, mother of 3 children is presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)