When children are separated from their parents due to incarceration-possible coupled with out-of-home care-they may experience a variety of negative outcomes. According to the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS), approximately 8 percent of all children who entered care in 2013 did so because of parental incarceration. The intersection of child welfare and parental incarceration is a growing concern for child welfare and related professionals.
Our new bulletin for professionals, Child Welfare Practice With Families Affected by Parental Incarceration, provides an overview of the scope of this issue; highlights practices to facilitate parent-child visits during incarceration, include parents in case planning, and work towards reunification; and points to resources to help caseworkers in their practice with these children and families. Working with incarcerated parents and their families has many barriers for child welfare caseworkers, but there are resources available that can help them overcome these challenges and improve outcomes for these children and families.
Children with incarcerated parents are not the only ones to be affected. Their caregivers, often relatives providing formal or informal kinship care, may face several unique challenges. Child Welfare Information Gateway offers a bulletin designed to help child welfare professionals promote and support kinship placements with Working With Kinship Caregivers.
For more information, visit our website, email us at info@childwelfare.gov, or call us toll-free at1.800.394.3366.
SFNY Coalition 