Rosie O’Donell Joins ABC Family’s The Fosters In Guest Arc

Rosie O’Donnell is heading to ABC Family’s “The Fosters.”

The star will play Rita Hendricks, described by the studio as, “a tough yet compassionate woman who works in the foster care system and becomes a mentor to a member of the Foster family.”

The actress and former talk show host will appear in three episodes of the series when the show returns to ABC Family in January 2014.

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“I am thrilled to be a part of this wonderful, heartwarming show. My kids and I never miss it,” Rosie said in a statement.

The show stars Teri Polo as Stef Foster and Sherri Saum as Lena Adams Foster, a couple with a big family.

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Producers of the show — Peter Paige and Bradley Bredeweg — said they are excited to have Rosie on board.

“When Rosie O’Donnell Tweeted that she loved ‘The Fosters,’ we knew we had to reach out and try to snap her up! Having witnessed her support of foster children and blended families, we knew she would be a perfect fit for the show,” the executive producers said in a statement.

Jennifer Lopez is also an executive producer of the show.

— Jolie Lash