Caregivers of Children with Incarcerated Parents

One of the biggest challenges we face is providing children and families of the incarcerated support so that they can work through this life-changing event. There are national, state and local resources available to help these children, it's simply a matter of ensuring that they and the adults caring for them know how and where to access these programs and resources.
  

According to The National Resource Center on Children and Families of the Incarcerated, family members caring for the children do not seek out assistance because of shame and fear. Family members are concerned that if they seek out assistance the children in their care will be taken by child protective services. Additionally, they feel as though their association with the incarcerated family member will negatively impact their lives. Echoes of Incarceration Project has produced a video that provides insight into some of the struggles caregivers face because of parental incarceration. Through my research, I have discovered that the effects children feel as a result of an incarcerated parent can vary widely. I have learned that there are so many variables that must be considered when evaluating some of these effects. Demographics such as age, race of the child, race of the incarcerated parent, and pre-existing risk factors all play a significant role in how the child, as well as other family members, will respond to this situation. Despite the many variables, hours of research has been devoted to this topic and they all seem to agree that children will display externalizing behaviors and internalizing behaviors. Externalizing behaviors are directed outwardly toward other people or things. Internalizing behaviors are focused inwardly and include fear, shame, anxiety, and depression.  A common misconception is that these children with incarcerated parents are more than likely to go down the same path, there is no solid evidence of this.

Unfortunately, I have learned that parental incarceration disproportionately affects minority populations and those living in poverty. Many of these children do not receive the support they need to work through their grief despite the numerous agencies created to assist them. A few questions that still linger with me is how do we reach these kids? How do we let them know that there is somewhere to turn and that there are advocates waiting to help? We need to find ways to minimize the stigma associated with children and their incarcerated parents. We need to let them know that its ok for them to love their parent despite the mistakes their parent may have made.

Figure 1: Morsy, Leila, and Richard Rothstein. "Black Men are Incarcerated at Six Times the Rate of White Men." Economic Policy Institute, 15 Dec. 2016, www.epi.org/publication/mass-incarceration-and-childrens-outcomes/.

Video: "Caring Through Struggle: Caregivers of Children with Incarcerated Parents." Echoes of Incarceration Project, 2013, www.echoesofincarceration.org/Watch.html.