## Other Youth Topics

## Breadcrumb

            -  Youth Topics 
            -           Children of Incarcerated Parents      

# Children of Incarcerated Parents

## Video and Guide: Creating Conditions that Promote Safety, Healing, and Growth in Child-Parent Visits

## YPAR Research: Nothing about Us without Us

Nothing about Us without Us: Amplifying the Perspectives of Youth with Experiences of Parental Incarceration through Youth Participatory Action Research

## YPAR Research: Raising Voices

Raising Voices: Youth Participatory Action Research to Explore Experiences and Strategies for Improving the Well-Being of Youth with Incarcerated Parents

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Having a parent in prison can have an impact on a child’s mental health, social behavior, and educational prospects.1 The emotional trauma that may occur and the practical difficulties of a disrupted family life can be compounded by the social stigma that children may face as a result of having a parent in prison or jail.2 Children who have an incarcerated parent may experience financial hardship that results from the loss of that parent’s income.3 Further, some incarcerated parents face termination of parental rights because their children have been in the foster care system beyond the time allowed by law4 or have questions about child support. These children require support from local, state, and federal systems to serve their needs.

Children of incarcerated parents may also face a number of other challenging circumstances. They may have experienced trauma related to their parent’s arrest or experiences leading up to it.5 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 use/misuse.6

For more information and resources on these overlapping problems, please see the additional links and resources in this youth topic:

## For Parents and Caregivers

                          - Trauma
                          - Exposure to Violence
                          - Exposure to Drugs or Alcohol
                          - Child Welfare
                          - Services & Supports
                          - Questions about Child Support
                          - Tools, Guides, & Resources

## For Law Enforcement and Corrections Personnel

                          - Tools, Guides, & Resources

## For School Administration and Teachers

                          - Trauma
                          - Exposure to Violence
                          - Exposure to Drugs or Alcohol
                          - Services & Supports
                          - Tools, Guides, & Resources
                          - Presentations

## For Child Welfare/Social Work and Clinical Professionals

                          - Trauma
                          - Exposure to Violence
                          - Exposure to Drugs or Alcohol
                          - Child Welfare
                          - Services & Supports
                          - Questions about Child Support
                          - Tools, Guides, & Resources

1 La Vigne, Davies, & Brazzell, 20082 La Vigne et al., 20083 General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 20114 U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), 20115 La Vigne et al., 20086 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2013; Phillips & Gleeson, 2007

***» Join the Children of Incarcerated Parents listserv.***

### Announcements 

                          - Archived Webinar: Innovative Practices to Promote Reunification
                          - Archived Webinar: The Benefits and Importance of Using YPAR with Youth with Incarcerated Parents
                          - National Resource Center on Children and Families of the Incarcerated
                          - Report: Multi-Site Family Study on Incarceration, Parenting, and Partnering: Earnings and Child Support Participation Among Reentering Fathers
                          - Report: Parental Incarceration and Children in Nonparental Care
                          - Report: The Experiences of Families During a Father’s Incarceration
                          - Report: The Federal Interagency Reentry Council: A Record of Progress and a Roadmap for the Future
                          - Resource: An Unlikely Partnership: Strengthening Families Touched by Incarceration Video
                          - Resource: Attachment Behaviors in Children with Incarcerated Fathers
                          - Resource: Beyond the ACE Score: Perspectives on Child Trauma and Adversity Screening and Impact
                          - Resource: Change in Parent-Child Relationships Before, During, and After Incarceration
                          - Resource: Child Victims and Witnesses Support Materials
                          - Resource: Drug Courts
                          - Resource: Family-Based Justice Center
                          - Resource: Mentoring for Preventing and Reducing Substance Use and Associated Risks among Youth
                          - Resource: National Training and Development Curriculum (NTDC)
                          - Resource: OJJDP Urges System Reform During Youth Justice Action Month (YJAM)
                          - Resource: Prevention and Early Intervention Efforts Seek to Reduce Violence by Youth and Youth Recruitment by Gangs
                          - Resource: Relationships as a Support for Reunification
                          - Resource: Resilience, Opportunity, Safety, Education, Strength (ROSES) Program
                          - Resource: Safeguarding Children of Arrested Parents: Implementing the Model Arrest Policy Archived Webinar
                          - Resources: Three New Guides for Families Experiencing the Criminal Justice System
                          - Review: Mentoring for Children of Incarcerated Parents
                          - Safeguarding Children of Arrested Parents Roll Call Training Video
                          - Social Media Toolkit: National Reunification Month 2022
                          - Supporting Families Impacted by Incarceration — A Dialogue with Experts
                          - Webinar Recording: Building Parent Leadership and Power to Support Faster, Lasting Reunification and Prevent System Involvement
                          - Youth Voices Have Moved to YE4C

### Collaboration Profiles 

                          - About the Program
                          - About the Program
                          - Connecting for Success
                          - Just Beginning Fatherhood
                          - Lessons Learned
                          - New York Initiative for Children of Incarcerated Parents
                          - Program Collaboration
                          - Program Collaboration
                          - Program Components
                          - Promising Practices
                          - References
                          - References
                          - Resources
                          - Resources
                          - Second Chances - Norfolk, VA Sheriff's Office

### Feature Articles 

                          - An Unlikely Partnership: Strengthening Families Touched by Incarceration
                          - Federal Bureau of Prisons's Daddy-Daughter Dance
                          - Guide for Incarcerated Parents Who Have Children in the Child Welfare System
                          - HHS and DOJ host listening session with youth who have an incarcerated parent
                          - Just Launched! Redesigned YE4C
                          - Safeguarding Children of Arrested Parents Roll Call Training Video
                          - Strengthening Incarcerated Individuals and Their Families
                          - The National Institute of Corrections' Video Visiting Guide
                          - Youth Participatory Action Research with Children of Incarcerated Parents

### Resources 

                          - Report: Multi-Site Family Study on Incarceration, Parenting, and Partnering: Program Impacts Technical Report
                          - Report: Parental Incarceration and Children in Nonparental Care
                          - Resource: Attachment Behaviors in Children with Incarcerated Fathers
                          - Resource: Hidden Consequences: The Impact of Incarceration on Dependent Children
                          - Share with Youth: 2017-18 We R Native Youth Ambassadors

### Technical Assistance 

                          - National Reentry Resource Center
                          - National Resource Center for Permanency and Family Connections
                          - National Resource Center on Legal and Judicial Issues

### Tools & Guides 

                          - A Toolkit for Working With Children of Incarcerated Parents
                          - Children in Foster Care with Parents in Federal Prison:  A Toolkit for Child Welfare Agencies, Federal Prisons, and Residential Reentry Centers
                          - Children of Incarcerated Parents – Fact Sheet
                          - Children of Incarcerated Parents Framing Paper
                          - Children of Incarcerated Parents Myth Busters
                          - Effects of Parental Incarceration on Young Children
                          - Guide for Incarcerated Parents Who Have Children in the Child Welfare System
                          - Parental Incarceration and Child Wellbeing: An Annotated Bibliography
                          - Promising Practices Toolkit: Working with Drug Endangered Children and Their Families
                          - Safeguarding Children of Arrested Parents: Trauma Prevention Policy
                          - Sesame Street Resources
                          - The Adoption and Safe Families Act: Barriers to Reunification between Children and Incarcerated Parents
                          - The Antisocial Behavior of the Adolescent Children of Incarcerated Parents: A Developmental Perspective
                          - Tip Sheet for Incarcerated Parents: Planning for a Visit from Your Child/Children
                          - Tip Sheet for Mentors: Supporting Children Who Have an Incarcerated Parent
                          - Tip Sheet for Prison/Jail Staff and Volunteers: Supporting Children Who Have an Incarcerated Parent
                          - Tip Sheet for Providers: Supporting Children Who Have an Incarcerated Parent
                          - Tip Sheet for Teachers (Pre-K through 12): Supporting Children Who Have an Incarcerated Parent
                          - Tip Sheet for Youth: Youth Supporting Fellow Youth Who Have an Incarcerated Parent
                          - Tips for Parents, Teachers, and Other Caregivers for Talking with Children Who Have Experienced Traumatic Events
                          - Video Visiting in Corrections: Benefits, Limitations, and Implementing Considerations
                          - When a Parent Is Incarcerated

### Videos & Podcasts 

                          - Video: Safeguarding Children of Arrested Parents Training

### Webinars & Presentations 

                          - Children of Incarcerated Parents: Presentations

### Websites 

                          - Federal Bureau of Prisons
                          - National Institute of Corrections (NIC) - Children of Incarcerated Parents (CoIP) Project

### Youth Topics 

                          - Children of Incarcerated Parents
                          - Violence Prevention

How Individualized Education Program (IEP) Transition Planning Makes a Difference for Youth with Disabilities
Youth who receive special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004) and especially young adults of transition age, should be involved in planning for life after high school as early as possible and no later than age 16. Transition services should stem from the individual youth’s needs and strengths, ensuring that planning takes into account his or her interests, preferences, and desires for the future.

Youth Transitioning to Adulthood: How Holding Early Leadership Positions Can Make a Difference
Research links early leadership with increased self-efficacy and suggests that leadership can help youth to develop decision making and interpersonal skills that support successes in the workforce and adulthood. In addition, young leaders tend to be more involved in their communities, and have lower dropout rates than their peers. Youth leaders also show considerable benefits for their communities, providing valuable insight into the needs and interests of young people

How Trained Service Professionals and Self-Advocacy Makes a Difference for Youth with Mental Health, Substance Abuse, or Co-occurring Issues
Statistics reflecting the number of youth suffering from mental health, substance abuse, and co-occurring disorders highlight the necessity for schools, families, support staff, and communities to work together to develop targeted, coordinated, and comprehensive transition plans for young people with a history of mental health needs and/or substance abuse.

Young Adults Formerly in Foster Care: Challenges and Solutions
Nearly 30,000 youth aged out of foster care in Fiscal Year 2009, which represents nine percent of the young people involved in the foster care system that year. This transition can be challenging for youth, especially youth who have grown up in the child welfare system.

Coordinating Systems to Support Transition Age Youth with Mental Health Needs
Research has demonstrated that as many as one in five children/youth have a diagnosable mental health disorder. Read about how coordination between public service agencies can improve treatment for these youth.

Civic Engagement Strategies for Transition Age Youth
Civic engagement has the potential to empower young adults, increase their self-determination, and give them the skills and self-confidence they need to enter the workforce. Read about one youth’s experience in AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC).

## Main navigation

- Children of Incarcerated Parents
- Trauma
- Exposure to Violence
- Exposure to Drugs or Alcohol Abuse
- Child Welfare
- Services & Supports
- Questions about Child Support
- Presentations
- Youth Perspectives
- Tools, Guides, & Resources
- References

The federal government's listening session with youth from across the country who have or have had an incarcerated parent brought together 19 youth, ages 15 to 23, with a diverse range of experiences to discuss the challenges they had during their parent's incarceration and their ideas for how the government could better support them and their families. Participants’ ideas and feedback from the session were used to inform several key resources.

**LEARN MORE**

## Latest Resources

### Announcements

Resource: Prescription for Disaster: How Teens Misuse Medicine

Resource: How to Talk About Mental Health: For Parents and Caregivers

Resource: Essentials for Parenting Teens

### Collaboration Profiles

Promising Practices/Accomplishments

Y2CONNECT.org

References

### Feature Articles

Healthy Youth Development through Self-Regulation and Co-Regulation

Youth Participatory Action Research with Children of Incarcerated Parents

Just Launched! Redesigned YE4C

### Publications

Booklet Series: FASD Prevention

When a Child's Parent Has PTSD

Talking with Teens: Conversation Tools

### Resources

Report: Parental Incarceration and Children in Nonparental Care

Resource: Attachment Behaviors in Children with Incarcerated Fathers

Report: Multi-Site Family Study on Incarceration, Parenting, and Partnering: Program Impacts Technical Report

### Youth Topics

Expectant and Parenting Young Families

Violence Prevention

Children of Incarcerated Parents