At-risk mothers' parenting capacity: an epistemological analysis of change through intensive intervention

Using an epistemological framework, we examine the process of change for two at-risk mothers participating in the Children's Ark, an innovative foster care program. The Children's Ark invited at-risk mothers who had lost custody of their children to live in a structured, supervised environment with their infants/toddlers while receiving intensive intervention. Focusing on two mothers who completed the program and regained custody of their children, we developed a coding system from Women's ways of knowing (Belenky, Clinchy, Goldberger, & Tarule, 1986) to analyze entry and discharge interviews, and as a means of exploring alternative conceptualizations to the helping professions' understanding of at-risk families. In terms of an epistemological framework, we found that mothers increased their capacity to acknowledge their own minds and voices and those of their children. Additionally, mothers came to recognize their capacity to generate knowledge, especially through dialogue and relationships with others. In conclusion, we discuss the utility of an epistemological perspective in describing and exploring change in at-risk mothers, including possible implications for practice.