3 Programs That Support Youth With Incarcerated Parents
Over five million children in the United States have experienced the incarceration of a parent. These organizations ensure they still feel the love during the holidays.
(WIB) – The holiday season can be a time of healing and hope as family members come together in celebration. It can also be a time of grief and loss as you mourn a loved one who isn’t there in the flesh to enjoy the festivities. And it could also be a time of emptiness, especially for youth, who are partaking in the holidays with one or both of their parents absent due to being incarcerated.
Multiple studies show having incarcerated parents impacts kids’ physical and mental health, as well as their cognitive abilities. Students with an incarcerated parent are more likely to be suspended or expelled, and less likely to go to college.
Approximately 10 million children had a parent imprisoned at some point in their lives. And a 2022 analysis of federal data by the Prison Policy Initiative found that roughly “half (47%) of the approximately 1.25 million people in state prison are parents of minor children, and about 1 in 5 (19%) of those children is age 4 or younger.”