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Children of Incarcerated Parents and Imprisoned Youth

For children of incarcerated parents, a trip to visit their mother or father in prison can be cold, formidable and traumatic. One of the greatest concerns regarding parental incarceration is the issue of parent -child attachment; without it the child has no basis with which to interpret how to engage and interact with others. (Johnson & Waldfogel, “Children of Incarcerated Parents: Cumulative Risk and Children’s Living Arrangement,” July 2002)

K.I.D.S. provides books to children of incarcerated parents to initiate parent/child reading during visitations while encouraging literacy and a bonding experience, a process necessary for appropriate development.

One of the agencies K.I.D.S. donates to is Children of Promise, NYC (CPNYC), a Brooklyn based organization committed to embracing and empowering children of incarcerated parents to break the cycle of intergenerational involvement in the criminal justice system. CPNYC provides children of prisoners with the guidance, support and the opportunities necessary to effectively develop leadership skills, form positive social relationships and enhance academic performance.