The term care drain coined in 2002 by the feminist sociologist Arlie Hochschild, is a feminist critique of brain drain's under theorization of the feminized migration in the global care chain and the impact it has on the families these women leave behind. Conversely care gain refers to the benefits for women migrant workers, their families and the sending nations.^[1][2]

Care drain is notable in five migratory streams:^[3]

• From Eastern Europe to Western Europe
• From Mexico, Central America, and South America to the United States
• From North Africa to Southern Europe
• From South Asia to the Gulf states
• From the Philippines to all over the world, including Hong Kong, the US, Europe and Israel.