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Children in Out-of-Home Care With Incarcerated Parents
Resources and information about working with children in or at risk of entering out-of-home care whose parents are incarcerated, including State and local examples.
Children of Incarcerated Parents
National Resource Center for Permanency and Family Connections (2011)
Includes State resources, information packets, websites, and other resources about children of incarcerated parents.
National Resource Center on Children and Families of the Incarcerated at Family and Corrections Network
Offers resources, policy notes, and training and technical assistance to develop and encourage best practices to support children and families of incarcerated individuals.
Broken Bonds: Understanding and Addressing the Needs of Children with Incarcerated Parents (PDF - 159 KB)
Vigne, Davies, & Brazzell
Urban Institute, Justice Policy Center (2008)
Includes recommendations on how to reduce the negative impact of parental incarceration on children, with particular attention to living arrangements and the role of supportive relationships with the incarcerated parent and other adults.
Children of Incarcerated Parents (PDF - 2755 KB)
University of Minnesota, Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare
CW360: A Comprehensive Look at a Prevalent Child Welfare Issue, 2008
Examines the experiences and outcomes of children of incarcerated parents and their families as they receive services in the child welfare system. Also includes resources to support child welfare workers' efforts in addressing the challenges associated with cases involving children of incarcerated parents and their families.
Children of Incarcerated Parents: How a Mentoring Program Can Make a Difference
Laakso & Nygaard
Social Work in Public Health: Special Issue: The Impact of Parental Incarceration on Children and Families, 27(1-2), 2012
View Abstract
Reports on the outcomes of a mentoring program specifically targeted to children with incarcerated parents, demonstrating how positive outcomes can help to mitigate some of the risks associated with being in this vulnerable population.
Ensuring Success for Children With Incarcerated Parents (PDF - 63 KB)
Association of Small Foundations (2008)
Offers a discussion guide that explores how small foundations can support programs and services for children with incarcerated parents.
Mentoring Interventions for Children of Incarcerated Parents
Zweibach, Rhodes, & Rappaport (2010)
In Children of Incarcerated Parents: A Handbook for Researchers and Practitioners
View Abstract
Explores vulnerabilities faced by many children of prisoners and the ways both a natural and an assigned mentoring relationship might protect them.
Virtual Visitation and Child Welfare
University of Minnesota, Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare
Special Issue: Child Welfare and Technology: CW360: A Comprehensive Look at a Prevalent Child Welfare Issue, 2011
Explores the use of technology in rural areas to facilitate visits between separated parents and children, and the possibilities for child welfare agencies. Specifically describes the use of virtual visiting to maintain contact between prisoners, their children, and families.
State and local examples
Arizona Family Members Behind Bars: Difficult Questions Children Ask and Answers That Might Help: A Caregiver's Guide to Arizona's Criminal Justice System From Arrest to Release (PDF - 2007 KB)
Arizona's Children Association & the Pima Prevention Partnership (2011)
Provides tips and suggestions to assist parents and other caregivers help children understand and cope with the impact of a having parent imprisoned in Arizona.
Children of Incarcerated Parents Task Force (PDF - 4321 KB)
Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth (2012)
Provides findings and recommendations from a survey developed to assess the number of children with an incarcerated father in Oklahoma.
Out of the Shadows: What Child Welfare Workers Can Do to Help Children and their Incarcerated Parents (PDF - 2263 KB)
Northern California Training Academy (2008)
Reaching Out
Explores ways in which child welfare workers can support meaningful visits between children and incarcerated parents, from preparation to after visiting.
Working Effectively with Children of the Incarcerated, their Parents and Caregivers
Washington State Children's Administration (2009)
Offers video modules designed to help social workers and other social service providers understand the particular needs of families with an incarcerated parent and learn effective practices in working with children of the incarcerated, their parents, and caregivers.
Library Search
2008 to present
Children of incarcerated parents
Family-centered practice: Services to children & families of prisoners