The aim of this study was to examine how social workers in outpatient programs fordrug and alcohol abuse explain the process of working with parenthood and theparental ability amongst clients with children. The study was conducted throughqualitative interviews with five different social workers, who worked within anoutpatient programs. The analysis was done through two different perspectives; onewith focus on the clients engagement in different social systems and one regarding theclients relationships and interaction with others. The main findings of this study arethat the outpatient programs work with parenthood is initiated through the client'sown wishes to work on certain aspects of the parent-child relationship, and indialogue with social workers and other members of the outpatient program. It wasalso discovered that children were involved in the therapeutic work to some extent,but that working with parenthood also revolved around the client being able toexpress feelings of shame and guilt, and how to overcome these feelings with the helpof the social workers and fellow outpatients.