From: CWLA Member Exclusives
Subject:Value-Added Feature: Children of Incarcerated Parents

More than 2 million children in our country have a parent incarcerated in state and federal prisons and local jails and many more have experienced a parent's incarceration at some point in their lives. These children's lives are often marked by poverty, parental substance abuse and mental illness, exposure to criminal activities, and other associated risk factors. As a result, children with incarcerated parents have an increased risk of emotional and behavioral difficulties, poor academic performance, alcohol and drug abuse, and juvenile delinquency.

In an effort to help these children, the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) received a three-year cooperative award from the U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Corrections (NIC) to create the federal Resource Center for Children of Prisoners and operate the Resource Center with the help of NIC, the National Council on Crime and Delinquency, and the American Correctional Association.

Located in Washington, DC, The Resource Center aims to improve the quality of information available about children with incarcerated parents and to develop resources that will help create better outcomes for these children. Although the program operates without any funding from CWLA member agencies, our members are well-positioned to puts its resources to work. If you would like to learn more about this program, visit www.childrenofprisoners.org or contact Arlene Lee at 202/638-2952 or alee@cwla.org.

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