children of incarcerated parents web portal

by Suzanne Christiansen 8 min read

Where can I find information about working with an incarcerated parent?

Visit the National Resource Center on Children and Families of the Incarcerated website. This guide from the Annie E. Casey Foundation provides information for child welfare agencies and caseworkers on working with incarcerated parents and their children.

How does incarceration affect children of incarcerated parents?

Children of incarcerated parents may also be more likely to have faced other adverse childhood experiences, including witnessing violence in their communities or directly in their household or exposure to drug and alcohol abuse.

What are some good resources for people with incarcerated parents?

This collection of handbooks is an excellent resource for anyone who cares for or works with children who have incarcerated parents. These “handbooks include information, tools, and resources, as well as vignettes and quotes to illustrate real-life examples.

What is the Directory of programs serving children and families of incarcerated?

The Directory of Programs Serving Children and Families of the Incarcerated is an update of the Directory of Programs Serving Families of Adult Offenders, dated October 2001. This revised directory lists programs in the United States and around the world that offer services specifically for children and families of the incarcerated.

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What happens to kids with incarcerated parents?

In particular, children with an incarcerated parent were more than three times more likely to have behavioral problems or depression than similar children without an imprisoned parent, and at least twice as likely to suffer from learning disabilities, ADD/ADHD, and anxiety.

How many children are affected by parental incarceration?

Recent estimates show that 2.7 million US children have a parent who is incarcerated, and more than 5 million children—7 percent of all US children—have had a parent in prison or jail at some point.

How do you help a child whose parent is incarcerated?

Tips to Support Children When a Parent is in PrisonBe an anchor of support. ... Keep open communication. ... Prioritize stability. ... Encourage active skill building. ... Involve other supportive adults. ... Consider helping the child connect with their incarcerated parent. ... Look into programs that can help. ... More Information​More items...•

What is parental incarceration?

Definitions. We use the term parental incarceration to refer to any kind of custodial confinement of a parent by the criminal justice system, except being held overnight in police cells. Incarceration can refer to confinement in jails or prisons (e.g., in the United States, at the state or federal level).

What are three of the potential impacts of parental imprisonment on children?

The number of children experiencing parental imprisonment is increasing in Western industrialized countries. Parental imprisonment is a risk factor for child antisocial behavior, offending, mental health problems, drug abuse, school failure, and unemployment.

How parental incarceration affects a child's education?

parental imprisonment has an impact on young students' misbehavior, such as receiving failing grades, missing class, and negativity about education as whole. These factors may occur in result of the other, such as anxiety consequential of a slipping GPA.

Can a child get Social Security if the father is in jail?

Although you can't receive monthly Social Security benefits while you're incarcerated, benefits to your spouse or children will continue as long as they remain eligible. If you're receiving SSI, we'll suspend your payments while you're in prison. Your payments can start again in the month you're released.

What kind of resources would you recommend to family members that have someone incarcerated?

Organizations In Support of Children and Families of the...Youth.gov. Toll-Free: (877) 231-7843. ... KidsMates. Email: info@kidsmates.org. ... Volunteers of America (VOA) ... Foreverfamily. ... Girl Scouts Beyond Bars. ... Annie E. ... The National Resource Center on Children and Families of the Incarcerated. ... U.S. Dream Academy.More items...

What are the effects of incarceration?

Research shows that, while it varies from person to person, incarceration is linked to mood disorders including major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. The carceral environment can be inherently damaging to mental health by removing people from society and eliminating meaning and purpose from their lives.

What is intergenerational incarceration?

Intergenerational incarceration is a term used to describe when family members from more than one generation enter the justice system. For example, a father and son who both spend time in prison experience intergenerational incarceration.