The U.S. Department of Justice has estimated that nationally 1.5 million children under the age of 18 had a parent incarcerated in state or federal prison, and 22% of minor children with a parent in prison were under age 5. Having an incarcerated parent often negatively impacts the quality of a young child’s attachment to their parent, which can lead to anxiety, withdrawal, hyper-vigilance, and depression.
As a result of parental incarceration, most children experience disruption in their homes, a series of temporary caregivers or placements in foster care, financial hardship and lack of contact with their parents. They are at greater risk for poor academic achievement, impaired emotional, behavioral and psychological development, depression, criminal behavior and incarceration.
Children of incarcerated parents remain a hidden population with little attention paid to their special needs. The children’s care arrangements are often handled informally by family members, so they rarely come to the attention of child welfare agencies or other support systems. Nationally, 10% of mothers and 2% of fathers in state prisons reported that their children were living in foster care.
Within Maryland, the number of children with incarcerated parents continues to grow. These children, their parents and their caregivers have special needs that are currently not being met by child welfare agencies or the criminal justice system.
The presenters at the seminar are renowned national and local scholars and leaders in advancing our knowledge and practice base concerning children with incarceration parents. In this seminar, we will examine how children are affected by parental incarceration, look at the specific issues that emerge when mothers and fathers are incarcerated, and provide a range of potential program and policy options that can begin to address the many problems encountered by children and families as a result of parental incarceration.
Upon completion of this seminar, participants will be able to:
Highlight the continuum of needs for children of all ages affected by parental incarceration
Build empathy and understanding about the stigma and shame felt by all affected
Increase knowledge of supports available for children, caregivers, and parents
Offer ways to promote healing within families and communities
Develop skills in working with children and families
Build collaboration between departments and communities partners to address the complex and sometimes conflicting needs of children and families
Mobilize communities to respond effectively and effectively at an individual and system level
Registration: $135 includes workshop materials, 6 Category I CEUs for social workers, psychologist, professional counselors and therapists
9:30 – 10:30 Opening Key Note Address – Children of Incarcerated Parents: Who are they and what do we know? Creasie Finney Hairston, Dean, Jane Addams College of Social Work
Scope of the problem: The numbers affected
The Impact of Incarceration on Children: economic, emotional, and social
Promising interventions and Protective Factors: Visitation, MCP
Key Recommendations and Possible Next Steps
Questions and Answers
10:30 – 10:45 Break
10:45 – 11:45 Shelley Hayes and ZeldaHolcomb -- What do we know about children of incarcerated parents in Maryland? Shelley Hayes – National Director of Angel Tree Ministries of Prison Fellowship, and Zelda Holcomb, Holcomb Associates, LLC
New Maryland specific research
Who are the kids and what are their circumstances?
What are the implications of the data?
How to use the data to inform policy and practice
Questions and Answers
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch --Panel: Maintaining and Strengthening Healthy Parent-Child Relationships The panel will address innovative strategies for maintaining and strengthening healthy parent-child relationships among families affected by incarceration.
1:00 – 2:15 Workshop SessionI
Program Development from the Inside Out: Fathers in Jail, their significant others and children plan a program to maintain, strengthen and rebuild their family ties Fathers in the Allegheny County Jail in Pittsburgh, PA their significant others, and their older children are the lead planners of a family relationship building program in the jail and for a year after release. This workshop will describe the planning process used to develop the Families Ties program of the Allegheny County Jail. Participants will also view the film, Families Ties produced by the Pittsburgh Child Guidance Foundation.
Presenter: Claire Walker, Pittsburgh Child Guidance Foundation
Mentoring Programs for Children of the Incarcerated According to the federal Family and Youth Services Bureau, mentoring programs for children of incarcerated parents are created to ensure that mentors provide young people with safe and trusting relationships, healthy messages about life and social behavior, appropriate guidance from a positive adult role model, and opportunities for increased participation in education, civic service, and community activities. This workshop will provide an overview to mentoring programs, best practices that have emerged and the challenges and opportunities that exist in work with families of the incarcerated.
Presenters: Catrice Alphonso, Institute for Interactive Instruction, C. Diane Wallace Booker, JD, U.S. Dream Academy, Inc. Columbia, Wendy Bodell, Maryland and Big Brothers/Big Sisters
Strengthening Families Impacted by Incarceration Project SIT serves children living in Wicomico County who have an incarcerated parent. The services provided include home visits, academic support (child and adult –GED), parenting classes for caregivers and incarcerated parents, transportation, bi-weekly parent-child contact visitation and other services.
Presenters: Eileen Matlack, Wicomico County Correctional Facility; and Ross Ford, Baltimore Rising
2:15 –2:30 Break
2:30–3:45 Workshop Session II
Facilitated Visitation Services for Children This workshop will describe prison visitation between children and mothers as developed by the Maryland Correctional Institute for Women in Jessup. It will present methods of dealing effectively with parents and children in supervised and facilitated visitation to ensure safe and healthy ongoing contact between parents and children.
Presenters: Brenda Shell, Warden, Maryland Correctional Institute for Women Jessup; Maryland and Margaret Chippendale, Girl Scouts Beyond Bars; and participants from Girl Scouts Beyond Bars
Legal Considerations for Maintaining Parent Child Connections This workshop will address current legal and systemic challenges and opportunities for maintaining parent-child relationships. Specific issues will be considered include the Adoption and Safe Families Act; laws pertaining to Temporary Guardianship and Standby Guardianship. This workshop will give an overview of the types of legal tools available to help parents successfully plan for their children’s future.
Presenter: Stephanie Franklin, Mecca’s Place
Collaboration between the Criminal Justice and Child Welfare Systems This workshop will describe the child welfare and criminal justice systems working together to aid children with incarcerated parents. It will discuss cross training of criminal justice and child welfare personnel and a central database holding information regarding children, parents and incarceration.
Presenters: Representatives from Rhode Island
3:45-4:30 Voices of Youth Panel Three youth will share their experiences growing up with parents affected by incarceration. They will discuss challenges and opportunities, and their impact of these relationships on themselves, their parents, and others. They will also offer recommendations for professionals working with youth in similarly affected families.
Voices of Parents Panel A panel of parents affected by incarceration will share their experiences, particularly related to relationships with their children, and offer recommendations for professionals working with families facing similar challenges.Moderator: Alfreda A. Robinson, National Women’s Prison Project, Inc.
4:30 – 4:45 Closing Remarks: Maryland’s Next Steps – An Agenda for Action
