Federal Resources

Roughly 10% of incarcerated mothers in state prison have a child in a foster home or other state care.  Some estimates indicate that as many as 1 in 8 children who are subjects of reports of maltreatment and investigated by child welfare agencies have parents who were recently arrested.   Though there is clearly overlap between the prison system and the child welfare system, it is often difficult for prison officials to know how to help incarcerated parents stay in touch with their children in foster care and work towards reunification.  Similarly, it is difficult for child welfare agencies to know how to engage parents in prison.  The purpose of this toolkit is to help facilitate communication and cooperation between child welfare agencies and federal prisons so that parents can stay engaged in their children's lives.  

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 2007, an estimated 1.7 million children under the age of 18 had a parent in prison, an increase of almost 80 percent since 1991. The negative consequences for children with an incarcerated parent can be substantial, including financial instability, changes in family structure, shame, and social stigma. However, research also shows that supporting healthy and positive relationships between these vulnerable children, who are the innocent bystanders of adult decisions, and their families has the potential to mitigate negative outcomes.

An interagency group, that includes the Departments of Justice, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Education, and Agriculture as well as the Social Security Administration, has partnered with stakeholders both inside and outside of government to identify opportunities to support these children and their caregivers.  This fact sheet describes the efforts of the interagency group. 

The Knowledge Networks page, on the AmeriCorps website, provides training and technical assistance resources organized by focus area. It connects service programs with targeted training and information.

HUD created Neighborhood Networks in 1995 to encourage property owners to establish multiservice community learning centers in HUD insured and assisted properties. Neighborhood Networks was one of the first federal initiatives to promote self-sufficiency and help provide computer access to low-income housing communities. Neighborhood Networks centers are alike. With support from innovative public-private partnerships, Neighborhood Networks centers sponsor a range of services and programs. Nearly all centers offer job training and educational opportunities, and many also provide programs that include access to healthcare information and microenterprise development.

This blog post describes President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper initiative and the administration’s efforts to provide guidance, mentoring, and support to all children, including young boys and young men. 

This toolkit, developed by the National Technical Assistance Center for the Education of Neglected or Delinquent Children and Youth, provides information, program descriptions, and links to important resources that can assist juvenile correctional facilities and other organizations with designing effective mentoring programs for neglected and delinquent youth, particularly those who are incarcerated. 

This archived webinar presents details of the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) for the second round (FY 2015) of Performance Partnership Pilots for Disconnected Youth (P3), including application requirements and selection criteria for potential applicants. 

This resource (PDF, 6 pages) describes the stark consequences of youth unemployment, especially among youth of color, and provides an overview of “what works” for youth workforce development. It highlights critical strategies and best practices, exemplars, and additional resources to support local practitioners’ efforts to develop and implement workforce development programs for young people in their communities. 

This resource provides a list of comprehensive services for opportunity youth.