Sensitivity to family diversity in education is critical so that schools and teachers can better support the identity formation and needs of their students. Much of the existing literature on this topic tends to focus on raising awareness of issues related to language, culture, gender and socioeconomic status and often how these can intersect with each other to create varied and unique situations. While issues of intimate partner violence and substance abuse may be intertwined with these topics, they are not always the focal point of the family diversity discussion. However, as educators, when faced with such issues, particularly substance abuse in the home, we may find it difficult to see it in context and may instead limit our focus on the health and well-being of the child. How does this affect the well-being of the family? And how can we, as educators, support both child and family well-being when we parent under duress? These are the questions I asked myself after interviewing Stella about parenting and diversity. I came into contact with Stella through a mutual friend and knew very little about her before interviewing her. As we sat, Stella explained that when her daughter Stella was born, she had been using drugs, homeless, and in an abusive relationship. As a result her mother now has custody of her daughter, Drew, although Stella has visitation rights. Then he asked, “Do I still meet the criteria?” I was taken aback by the information Stella had shared with me, because I didn't expect our interview to take this direction. However, I assured her, that the only criteria was that the individual was a parent. Therefore, what follows will be Stella's experiences of being a hospitalized mother... halfway through the document... daughter, she still carries many regrets and remorse. During the interview Stella described herself as "selfish", "lazy" or a "terrible person". Stella also continued to feel ashamed of situations that, one might say, she could not fully “control.” For example, Stella stated, “I'm still ashamed of living under a bridge, of being pregnant, of being homeless, of taking drugs, and of being beaten.” As I reflect on the interview, I wonder to what extent Stella's feelings of shame and guilt were influenced by the stigmatizing discourse that tends to blame mothers who use substances and/or who are in abusive relationships (Greaves et al., 2002 ). Furthermore, whether her experiences of feeling judged and stigmatized had impacted Stella's confidence and self-efficacy in her mothering skills, her recovery, and her transition into her daughter's life.