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Children ofIncarcerated Parents:

Therapeutic Issues and Policy Recommendations

PCCYFS 2011 Annual Spring ConferenceApril 14, 2011

Brenda Rich, Turning Points for Children

Ann Schwartzman, The Pennsylvania Prison Society

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MULTIPLE LOSSES(and Practice Tips)

I. The Trauma of the Arrest

II. Living Arrangements

III. Who am I now? --Identity

IV. Relationship Issues

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I. Trauma of the Arrest Frequently arrests are made in the wee hours of

the morning. Child may witness forced removal of the parent.

May see parent’s confusion, embarrassment, loss of power, shame.

May experience loss of parental authority, credibility

Child feels vulnerable, helpless, angry May send strong negative message re law

enforcement (intrusive rather than protective)

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The Arrest: Practice Tips

1) Check in with the child/family regarding their experience with the parent’s arrest.

2) Become trauma-informed.

3) Understand your own feeling around the crime, incarceration, the parent’s actions.

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II. “Who is going to take care of me?” If additional providers in the home other than the arrested

parent, the child is at least able to stay in own home, in own bed, etc.

However: If child lives with one parent as the only provider, child will be

handed over to another officer, who will transport child to police headquarters or some other interim place until a plan for placement is arranged. Some officers may allow goodbyes, others may have no sensitivity to child’s needs. Foster placement (non-kinship care) Abrupt move to stranger

caregiver, new school, everything different. Kinship foster care or informal kinship care… Again, may be a

possible abrupt move, meaning change in neighborhood or school, but will be placed with family. Or it may mean that a relative abruptly moves in to keep child in place, which might create problems for the caregiver, around rearrangement of their own life.

Siblings… if multiple siblings, may not all be able to be together

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Living Arrangements: Practice Tips

1) “Map” out with child their home/family.

2) If with more than one family, map out multiple living arrangements.

3) Be clear about the impact of the move on the child and on the caregiver.

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III. “Who am I now?” Embarrassment, shame, cover stories Feelings for the parent

Fear (could be fear of the parent, or fear for the parent)

Love Anxiety

Understanding that parents did not “voluntarily abandon them!”/Understanding the choices the parent made

Changed societal “place” (pushed to be adult too soon, feelings of stigma, secrecy, culture of bravado about jail)

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“Who am I Now?” Practice Tips

1) Worker can help child develop acceptable way to explain current living arrangement for those who may inquire. (i.e. “I’m staying with _____ for a few months while my mother works out some stuff”)

2) Help child have language to use to avoid humiliation, and to help frame situation in a positive parental light.

3) Facilitate support groups for children in similar circumstances

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IV. Relationship Issues Why is visitation important? Know with whom to communicate to arrange

visitation for child. What is temporary caregiver’s view of the parent? Problems that get in the way for maintaining

relationships Visitation

Distance Cost Hours Emotional reactions to visits in prison Prison procedures and requirements Allowed contact/non-contact

Other communications: letters (restrictions on art projects for example) phones (expensive)

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Relationships: Practice Tips Understand that visitation is the most important way

to maintain positive parent-child relationship. (Lack of visits correlates to lack of successful reunification)

Facilitate visits (know procedures, restrictions ahead of time, offer concrete support)

Help parent and child to use the visit productively. Help the parent to facilitate the child-parent bond Find other possible ways of relationship building (i.e.

parents can do readings of child’s favorite books) Whatever communication allowed to support positive

parent child relationship should be consistent and ongoing, to help keep reality alive, reduce trauma and help plan for the future.

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Children’s Artwork

3 art pieces that have helped children to articulate:

-the nature of the crime/charges-the impact on the victim

-the mixed messages-the child’s feelings

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Resources:

Joseph Crumbley, DSW(www.drcrumbley.com)

“Working with Children and Families Separated by Incarceration: A Handbook for Child Welfare Agencies

Lois E WrightCynthia B. Seymour

(CWLA Press, Washington, D.C.)

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Children with Incarcerated Parents:

Working with Children and Families Separated by Incarceration

Presented by:Brenda Rich, Turning Points for Children

Phone #: 215-875-4955E-mail: brich@turningpointsforchildren.org

Ann SchwartzmanPolicy Director

The Pennsylvania Prison SocietyPhone 215-564-6005, ext.117

www.prisonsociety.orgwww.Facebook.com/PennsylvaniaPrisonSociety