The Directory of Programs Serving Children and Families of the Incarcerated is an update of the Directory of Programs Serving Families of Adult Offenders, dated October 2001. This revised directory lists programs in the United States and around the world that offer services specifically for children and families of the incarcerated.


Alabama

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Shoals, Inc

Area Served: Colbert, Lauderdale & Franklin Counties, Alabama
Parent Organization: None
Telephone: 256-248-1931
Address: 505 N. Columbia Ave Sheffield, AL 35660
E-mail: gina@bbbsshoals.org
Website: www.bigbrothersbigsisters.org
Secondary Office: P.O. Box 652, Florence, AL 35630
Established: 1987
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

Big Brothers Big Sisters is the oldest & largest national mentoring program. We match children between the ages of 5 and 15 with adult volunteers. Our vision is successful mentoring relationships for all children who need and want them contributing to better schools, brighter futures, and stronger communities for all.

Mentoring Children of Promise

Parent Organization: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Birmingham
Area Served: Greater Birmingham Area – Jefferson, Shelby, Saint Clair, Blount and Walker Counties
Address: 1901 14th Avenue South
Birmingham, AL 35205
E-mail: aalfano@bbbsbhm.org
Website: www.bbbsbhm.org
Phone: 205-939-5590 ext. 35 Shelby Belmount
Established: 1973
Volunteer Opportunities? Yes

The Big Brothers Big Sisters Mission is to help children reach their potential through one-to-one relationships with mentors that have a measurable impact on youth. The Big Brothers Big Sisters Vision is successful mentoring relationships for all children who need and want them, contributing to brighter futures, better schools, and stronger communities for all.

SKIP, Inc. Community Resource Services

Area Served: AL and MI
Parent Organization:  Save Kids of Incarcerated Parents
Telephone:  334/269-4141
Address: 3438 Lexington Road
Montgomery, AL 36111 USA
Email: gjwilliams@skipinc.org
Website: skipinc.org
Secondary Office:
Secondary Phone: 334-549-9674
Established: 1979
Volunteer Opportunities? Yes

Our Missions to provide supportive services to children of incarcerated parents and their families, and to increase public awareness of the underlying problems of these children as victims.

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Alaska

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska

Area Served: Anchorage, Mat-Su, Juneau, Fairbanks Alaska

Parent Organization: Big Brothers Big Sisters
Telephone: 907-433-4600
Address: 1057 W Fireweed Ln, Ste 202 Anchorage, AK 99503
Website: http://www.bbbsak.org/
Established: 2018
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska provides a caring adult mentor to any child who is facing adversity such as an incarcerated parent. BBBSA offers both community-based and school-based mentoring programs and supports one-on-one mentoring relationships for thousands of local youth.

The Lullaby Project

Area Served: Eagle River, Alaska
Parent Organization: Keys to Life
Telephone:907-561-9471
Address: 200 W. 34th Ave. #902 Anchorage, Alaska 99503
Website: https://www.keystolifealaska.com/lullaby-project-main 
Established: 2016
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes                                                                                                       

The Lullaby Project is in partnership with Carnegie Hall’s Weil Music Institute that creates a musical experience for mothers and fathers who are facing a challenging life as incarcerated inmates at Alaska’s Hiland Mountain Correctional Center.

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Arizona

Family Resource Center

Area Served: Maricopa County, AZ
Parent Organization: Child Crisis Center
Telephone: 480-834-9424
Address: PO Box 4114
Mesa, AZ 85211
E-mail: frc@childcrisis.org
Website: http://www.familyresourceaz.org/
Secondary Office: None
Established: 1996
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

Parenting & parent support services for any family, including those with an incarcerated parent. Our work also includes programming for Relatives As Parents.

MentorKids USA

Area Served: Greater Phoenix, Arizona
Parent Organization: None
Telephone: 480-767-6707
Address: 8960 E Raintree Dr. Ste. 300
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
E-mail: info@mentorkidsusa.org
Website: www.mentorkidsusa.org
Secondary Office: None
Established: 1997
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

MentorKids USA is a faith-based organization dedicated to providing at-risk youth (including children of incarcerated parents) with caring adult mentors.

Middle Ground Prison Reform

Area Served: Arizona
Parent Organization: None
Telephone: 480-966-8116
Address: 139 East Encanto Drive Tempe, AZ 85281-6624
E-mail: middlegroundprisonreform@msn.com
Websitehttps://www.middlegroundprisonreform.org/
Secondary Office: None
Established: 1983
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

To protect and define the rights and responsibilities of the incarcerated through public education, legislative advocacy and civil rights litigation.

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Arkansas

Arkansas Voices for the Children Left Behind, Inc.

Area Served: State of Arkansas
Parent Organization: None
Telephone: 501-366-3647
Address: 1114 Garland Street, P.O. Box 215002
Little Rock, AR 72225
E-mail: BORPartnership@yahoo.com
Website: http://www.arkansasvoices.org/programs.html

Secondary Office: None
Established: 1994
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

Arkansas Voices for the Children Left Behind is a statewide, non-profit organization whose sole mission is to serve children left behind in the care of relatives due to parental incarceration and other reasons. We offer direct services and advocacy/trainingthroughout the state. Our mission is “Justice for children left behind, including family, social, racial, economic, and educational justice.”

Club Buddies- BECOME A STAR

Area Served: Benton County Arkansas
Parent Organization: Boys and Girls Club of Benton County
Telephone: 479-273-7187
Address: PO Box 448
Bentonville, AR 72712
E-mail: sabrina.rampy@cox-internet.com
Website: www.bgcbentoncounty.org
Secondary Office: None
Established: 1991
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

Mentoring and after-school and summer youth development programs.Club Buddies works with Benton County children ages 4-18 who have one or more incarcerated parent. Enrollment includes free membership to the Boys and Girls Clubs (BGC), some monetary incentives, and most importantly a match with a qualifying mentor (Club Buddy).

HIP Mentoring Program

Area Served: Counties in SW Arkansas and Bowie County in Texas
Parent Organization: Southwest Arkansas Counseling and Mental Health Center, Inc.
Telephone: 870-773-4655
Address: 2904 Arkansas Boulevard
Texarkana, AR 71854
E-mail: mschroeder@swacmhc.com
Website: None
Secondary Office: None
Established: 2004
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

The HIP Mentoring Program is a mentoring program for children with incarcerated parents in the Texarkana area of Arkansas.

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California

Centerforce

Area Served: San Francisco Bay Area, Fresno Central Valley
Parent Organization: None
Telephone: 415-456-9980
Address: 2955 Kerner Blvd., 2nd floor
San Rafael, CA 94901
E-mail: info@centerforce1.org

Website: https://www.centerforce.ngo

Secondary Office: None
Established: 1971
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

Centerforce provides services that support, educate and advocate for individuals, families and communities impacted by incarceration.

Community Mentoring Connections

Area Served: Regional counties surrounding Sacramento, California
Parent Organization: Amador Tuolumne Community Action Agency
Telephone: 209-533-1397, ext. 229
Address: 427 N. Hwy. 49, Ste. 305
Sonora, CA 95370
E-mail: elinehan@atcaa.org
Website: https://ca-mentor.com/children-&-families/family-support-services
Secondary Office: 935 South State Hwy 49, Jackson, CA95370
Established:
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

Community Mentoring Connection is a regional program matching youth with incarcerated parents with caring adult mentors.

Families and Criminal Justice

Area Served: Varies by project; 3 national projects, 1 statewide project (California), 2 regional projects (Southern California) and 1 local project (Los Angeles County)
Parent Organization: None
Telephone:
Address: Box 50-683
Los Angeles, CA 90050
E-mail: WritetoFCJ@hotmail.com
Website: www.familiesandcriminaljustice.org
Secondary Office: None
Established: 1989
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: No

The Center conducts research, produces and distributes publications, provides technical assistance, trains professionals and offers direct services.The Center’s program of direct services includes educational services, therapeutic services and family reunification services.All services are free to children of criminal offenders and their families.

Friends Outside

Area Served: California
Parent Organization: None
Telephone: 209-955-0701
Address: PO Box 4085 Stockton, CA 95204
E-mail: info@friendsoutside.org
Website: www.friendsoutside.org
Secondary Office: None
Established: 1955
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

Programs and services for people impacted by incarceration, including children and families.  Programs include assistance with reentry and family reunification; parenting education, fatherhood programs, alternatives to violence and anger management for incarcerated people.

Get on the Bus

Area Served: California
Parent Organization: The Center for Restorative Justice Works
Telephone: (818) 980-7714
Address: 2350 West Beverly Blvd, 
STE 200 Montebello, CA, 90640
E-mail: info@crjw.org
Contact: Kristal Corona
Secondary Office: None
Established: 2000
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

Get On The Bus (also knows as GOTB) helps to reunite children with their incarcerated parents for Mother’s and Father’s day. Children and families throughout the state (and sometimes country) travel to participating prisons in California to have a family-friendly visiting day filled with activities, hugs, laughter, and new memories. The program is supported by an ever-growing community of caring and compassionate individuals and groups coming together to make this all happen! To date, GOTB has helped to reunite over 10,000+ children with their parents. 

Legal Services for Prisoners with Children (LSPC)

Area Served: California
Parent Organization: None
Telephone: 415-255-7036
Address: 1540 Market St, Suite 490
San Francisco, CA 94102
E-mailinfo@prisonerswithchildren.org
Website: www.prisonerswithchildren.org
Secondary Office: None
Established: 1978
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

LSPC organizes communities impacted by the criminal justice system and advocates to release incarcerated people, to restore human and civil rights and to reunify families and communities. We build public awareness of structural racism in policing, the courts and prison system and we advance racial and gender justice in all our work. Our strategies include legal support, trainings, advocacy, public education, grassroots mobilization and developing community partnerships.

Lifting Lives

Area Served: Los Angeles, California
Parent Organization: None
Telephone: 626-376-5463
Address: P. O. Box 94019
Pasadena, CA 91109
E-mail: rtaylor220_2000@yahoo.com
Website: None
Secondary Office: None
Established: 2001
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

Provide mentoring, tutoring, counseling, and support to children whose parents are incarcerated.

Mentoring Works

Area Served: Amador and Tuolumne County
Parent Organization: Amador Tuolumne Community Action Agency
Telephone: 209-533-1397, ext. 229
Address: 427 N. Hwy. 49, Ste. 305
Sonora, CA 95370
E-mail: elinehan@atcaa.org
Website: atcaa.org
Secondary Office: 935 South State Hwy 49, Jackson, CA 95370
Established: 12
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

Mentoring Works provides one-on-one matches in Amador and Tuolumne Counties between caring adults and children needing a friend.

POPS the Club 

Area Served: National
Parent Organization: POPstheclub.com, Inc.
Telephone: 310-709-2484
Address: 4160 Lyceum Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90066
E-mail: popsvenice@gmail.com
Website: www.popstheclub.org 
Secondary Office: POPStheclub.com, Inc. c/o Dennis Danziger Venice High School 13000 Venice Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90066
Contact: Amy Friedman
Email: amy@amyfriedman.net
Established: 2013
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

POPStheclub.com, Inc. is a nonprofit dedicated to creating and supporting clubs in high schools across the country for students whose lives have been touched by prison. We are arts-based, publishing POPS students’ works (writing and artwork) in annual anthologies. We support in-school clubs that offer camaraderie, nurturing, compassion, and community for those who too often carry around the pain associated with having an association to prison–those with loved ones who are or have served time and those who have themselves served time.

Project AVARY

Area Served: San Francisco Bay Area, California
Parent Organization: Project Avary
Telephone: 415-457-8799
Address: PO Box 150088 San Rafael, CA 94915-0088 United States
E-mail: join@projectavary.org
Website: https://www.projectavary.org/
Secondary Office: None
Established: 1999
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

National online support groups to children of incarcerated parents (CIPs). All participants, including counselors, are CIPs. The groups are free and fun. Youth can meet others going through similar experiences and develop leadership skills at the same time.

Santa Rita Inmate Services

Area Served: Alameda County, California
Parent Organization: Teaching and Loving Kids (T.A.L.K.)
Telephone: 925-551-6580
Address: 5325 Broder Blvd.
Dublin, CA 94583
E-mail: dimsplace@aol.com
Website: http://www.acsoyfsb.org/
Secondary Office: None
Established: 1990
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: No

Provides parenting, life skills, and reunification training with enhanced visitation for program participants.

The Place4Grace

Parent Organization:

Area Served: California

Address: 2441 N Sierra Way, San Bernardino, CA 92405

E-mail: info@theplace4grace.org

Website: https://Theplace4grace.org

Phone: 909-554-3919

Established: 2009

Volunteer Opportunities? Yes

The Place4Grace was founded in 2009 with the mission to restore families and advocate for children impacted by incarceration. Our programs serve families and children of incarcerated men and women with a focus on family reunification, literacy, providing an environment for extended father and child bonding time, advocacy, and restoration.

Due to an overwhelming lack of programs available assisting fathers and mothers to maintain contact with their child while incarcerated, the Place4Grace’s programs are designed to ensure that strong family bonds between the children and their incarcerated parents are maintained and to ease the trauma in children caused by sharing their parent’s sentence. Our programs are also an important motivator for fathers and mothers to remain discipline free and to participate in positive programming, which lowers recidivism rates upon the parent’s release. Our services includes Camp Grace, Family2Child, Parent and Child Connection & Home2Stay.

Start with a Story

Parent Organization: Alameda County Library
Area Served: Alameda County, CA
Address: 2450 Stevenson Blvd. Freemont, CA 94538
E-mail: seas@aclibrary.org
Website: https://startwithastory.wordpress.com/
Phone: 510-745-1511
Established: 2007
Volunteer Opportunities? Yes

“Start With a Story”, a project of the Alameda County Library, delivers story times, free books, and family literacy activities to children, ages 1-16 years old, who visit their parents at jails in Alameda County. More than 125 children are served through this program each week.

 

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Colorado

 

Connecticut

Connecticut Children with Incarcerated Parents (CIP) Initiative

Area Served: Connecticut

Parent Organization:

Telephone: 959-200-3856

Address: 10 Prospect Street,Hartford Times Building, Room 432
Hartford, CT 06103
United States

Email: aileen.keays@uconn.edu

Website: http://ctcip.org/

Established: 2008

Volunteer/ Internship Opportunities?: Yes

Since fiscal year 2008, the Institute for Municipal & Regional Policy (IMRP) has been receiving annual funding from the Connecticut General Assembly to administer competitive grants for providing positive interventions for at-risk youth whose parent(s) and/or family members have been incarcerated. The IMRP continually seeks to gain an additional understanding of these children and their service-needs through research, evaluation and outreach activities. As-such, the IMRP, in collaboration with several faculty members from the Connecticut State College & Universities system, as well as other universities and colleges, is evaluating the effectiveness of direct care services in alleviating negative responses to parental incarceration and improving the positive attributes of children with incarcerated parents. The mission for the CIP Initiative is to improve the quality of supports for children with incarcerated parents by using the various data and knowledge it gains to inform public policy and practice.
The CIP Initiative provides supportive funding for diverse programs seeking to support CIP. The CIP Initiative is also dedicated to providing information that may be helpful to those with a loved one in a Connecticut correctional facility. This resource is for parents and caregivers who are facing a prison sentence, as well as for those returning home from a term of incarceration, their children, their children’s remaining caregiver, other loved ones, volunteers and staff who work with or on behalf of children with a parent incarcerated, policymakers, advocates, and researchers.

Fresh Start Community Reentry Program

Area Served: Connecticut – Bridgeport, Norwalk, Stamford, and five prison sites.
Parent Organization: Family ReEntry, Inc.
Telephone: 203-838-0496
Address: Administrative Offices, 9 Mott Avenue, Suite 104
Norwalk, CT 6850
E-mail: info@familyreentry.org
Website: www.familyreentry.org
Secondary Office: 126 Washington Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 6604
Established: 1984
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

Family ReEntry’s efforts are aimed at comprehensively and effectively addressing the enormous social problems related to crime, violence, abuse, and the unprecedented rates of costly incarceration.Our wide range of behavioral health, substance abuse, case management, domestic violence, mentoring, violence prevention, and parenting programs along with our innovative community reentry program, reentry housing pilot project, and cutting-edge entrepreneurial employment and training businesses help empower individuals and strengthen families & communities; resulting in increased public safety, reduced cost to taxpayers, and vast improvements in quality of life for individuals, families, and communities.

Institute for Municipal & Regional Policy

Area Served: Connecticut
Parent Organization– Central CT State University
Telephone : 860 832 1873
Address: – 114 Vance Academic Center; 1615 Stanley Street New Britain, CT 06050
Email: keaysaik@ccsu.edu
Website: http://www.ccsu.edu/imrp
Established: 2007
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities? Yes

Since fiscal year 2008 the IMRP has been receiving annual funding from the Connecticut General Assembly to administer competitive grants for providing positive interventions for at-risk youth whose parent(s) and/or family members have been incarcerated. All of these services are being evaluated using a mixed methods action research model by CCSU faculty, students and staff as part of the IMRP project evaluation team. Additionally, over the past few years the IMRP has leveraged CCSU’s resources by 1) partnering with several University faculty, classes, and individual students on community engagement initiatives aimed at this population and 2) increasing overall awareness of the issue through print and visual media and the hosting of a statewide conference. The overall goal is to use the various data and knowledge gained in all of our efforts to inform intervention and public policy development.

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Delaware

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Florida

Children of Inmates

Area Served: Florida

Telephone: 1 (888) 757- KIDZ(5439)

Email: //info@childrenofinmates.org

Website: https://www.childrenofinmates.org/Home.aspx

Volunteer opportunities: Yes

We coordinate wrap-around services, conduct Bonding Visits, and advocate for stronger policies to strengthen the bond between children and their incarcerated parents and mitigate the trauma caused by the separation.

Father & Child Resource Center

Area Served: Martin County, Florida
Parent Organization: None
Telephone: None
Address: 2026 S E Ocean Blvd
Stuart, FL 34996
E-mail: dcardno@mchealthystart.org
Website: https://www.mchealthystart.org/programs/father–child-resource-center/
Secondary Office: None
Established: 2000
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

Services designed to help fathers play a productive role in their children’s lives

Mentors Opening Doors Enriching Lives (MODEL) Mentoring Program

Area Served: Central Florida
Parent Organization: Children’s Home Society of Florida
Telephone: 321-397-3000
Address: 1485 S. Semoran Blvd Suite 1402
Winter Park, FL 32792
E-mail: amanda.choos@chsfl.org
Website: www.chsfl.org
Contact: Amanda Choos, Volunteer Coordinator
Email: amanda.choos@chsfl.org
Direct Phone: 321-397-3002
Secondary Office: None
Established:
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

MODEL Mentoring is a one to one community-based mentoring program for children that have at least one parent or parental figure in state or federal prison. Youth must be 4-18 years old and live in Seminole Orange or Osceola County.

The Walls To Bridges Project

Area Served: California
Address: PO Box 20250 San Jose, CA 95160 United States
Website: http://wallstobridgesproject.org
Contact: Matt Sioson
Email: wallstobridges@gmail.com
Type of Services Provided: Direct service (works with children, caregivers, or parents)
Area of Focus: Education program (for children)                                                                                           

Services are provided for children: When parents are in prison                                                                           

Do you provide services for parents: While in prison and immediately before release
Established: 2019
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

The Walls to Bridges Project sends educational resources and books to children on behalf of their incarcerated family in the state of California. There is no cost to participate and no limit per family. If you or anyone you know would like to participate, please send an email to wallstobridges@gmail.com

U.S Dream Academy

Area Served: Florida
Telephone:(407) 245-1810 x 2340
Address: 2220 W. 29th Street Orlando, FL 32805
Websitewww.usdreamacademy.org
Secondary Office: None
Established: 1998

Provides children in grades 3 through 8 daily after-school programming that includes on-line academic enrichment, which is the cornerstone of the Skill-building component, Dream building and Character building. Homework assistance and one to one mentoring is also provided. Programs currently in Washington, DC; Baltimore, MD; East Orange, NJ; Philadelphia, PA; Orlando, FL;Houston, TX; Salt Lake City, UT; Memphis, TN; Los Angeles, CA; Indianapolis, IN

 

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Georgia 

Camp Hope, Mentors4Hope, Interns4Tomorrow

Area Served: Metro Atlanta Counties
Parent Organization: kidz2leader, Inc.
Telephone: (770) 977-7751
Address: 4385 Lower Roswell Road Marietta, GA 30068
E-mail: info@kidz2leaders.org
Websitewww.kidz2leaders.org
Established: 1999
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: No

kidz2leaders works to change the direction of the lives of children of inmates by providing Christian programming and a fun environment.

Community Chaplaincy Outreach

Area Served: Atlanta, Ga. Metro area.
Parent Organization: Community
Phone: 404-580-2194
Address: P.O. Box 1366 Jonesboro, Ga. 30237-1366
Email: bernellwesley@bellsouth.net
Website: http://www.disciple52.wix.com/communitychaplaincy
Secondary Office: 
Volunteer Opportunities?: Yes

Yes. The six main pillars of grief/loss that we provide training for, and which are addressed with children in the peer support groups, are death, separation/divorce, incarceration (of a parent or other immediate family member), military deployment, deportation, or chronic illness. They discuss things like feelings of anger, sadness, guilt, etc, how to communicate their feelings, what changes will occur when the family member is gone, how to deal with those changes, healthy ways to manage their stress, coping with traumatic situations, etc. 

Foreverfamily

Area Served: Atlanta and surrounding area
Phone: (404)658-9606
Address: 765 McDaniel Street, S. W. Suite 3104 Atlanta, GA 30310
Website: https://www.foreverfam.org/
Established: 1987
Volunteer Opportunities?: Yes

Foreverfamily works to ensure that, no matter what the circumstances, all children have the opportunity to be surrounded by the love of family. We focus our efforts on some of the most marginalized children in our society—those with an incarcerated parent or parents—and support them as they, their parents, caregivers and extended families work to remain a family.

Mentoring Children of Promise in Central Georgia

Area Served: 15 counties in Central Georgia: Baldwin, Bibb, Crawford, Greene, Hancock, Houston, Jasper, Jones, Laurens, Monroe, Peach, Putnam, Twiggs, Washington, Wilkinson
Parent Organization: Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Heart of Georgia
Telephone: 478-745-3984
Address: 777 Walnut StreetMacon, GA 31201
E-mail: dianna.glymph@bbbsheartga.org; agency@bbbsheartga.org
Website: www.bbbsheartga.org
Secondary Office: 320 Hancock, Milledgeville, GA31061
Established: 1953
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

Provide screened and trained mentors for children of incarcerated parents.

NIA Support Group

Area Served: Metro Atlanta

Parent Organization: National Incarceration Association

Telephone:(470)-331-8139

Address: 1483 Wood Thrush Way, Marietta, GA 30062 United States

E-mail: abby.cook@joinnia.com

Website: https://joinnia.com/

Established: 2021

Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

A support group for people with a family or friend incarcerated.

Motherhood Beyond Bars

Area Served: Georgia

Parent Organization: None

Telephone: 404-313-0338

Address: 1799 Briarcliff Rd, Box 15276,  Atlanta GA 30333

Email: amy@motherhoodbeyond.org

Website: https://www.motherhoodbeyond.org

Established: 2018

Volunteer / Internship Opportunities?: Yes

Motherhood Beyond Bars ensures a healthy start for infants born to incarcerated women by providing a network of comprehensive support for mothers and caregivers. We support and strengthen families with the goal of long-term, healthy reunification and a permanent end to cycles of incarceration in families.

We launched our Caregiver Support Program in May, 2020 to provide direct services, informational, and emotional support to caregiver families who are caring for an infant who has a mother in prison. Our program aims to stabilize vulnerable families and provide the best opportunity for healthy and long-lasting family reunification when the mother is released from prison. We have successfully enrolled every infant born since May, 2020, into our program. Using historical data, we expect an average of 50 families to enroll annually.

The effort is the first of its kind in Georgia and begins the minute a pregnant woman enters the prison system. We make direct contact with mothers, communicate with chosen caregivers before the baby is born, and begin developing local and statewide resources to help create a strong network of support for mothers, caregivers and infants. When caregivers arrive at the hospital to pick up the baby (this happens after the mother has returned to prison), hospital staff provide an MBB Begin Box to caregivers, which includes everything a caregiver needs to safely care for a newborn including: diapers, formula, a safe sleeping space, newborn clothing, bathing supplies, and dozens of other items (estimated value per box: $250). Caregivers tell us that these newborn supplies have been “lifesavers.” Every caregiver family is then matched with a Motherhood Beyond Bars Navigator who provides ongoing support to the family. We send every family a monthly supply of diapers and wipes and make sure that families are enrolled in social service programs for which they are eligible

Hawaii

Supporting Families Affected by Incarceration

Area Served: Hawaii
Parent Organization: Keiki O Ka Aina Family Learning Centers
Telephone: 808-843-2502
Address: 3097 Kalihi Street
Honolulu, HI 96819
E-mail: contact@keikiokaain.org
Website: https://www.koka.org/sfai/
Secondary Office: None
Established: 2003
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

Services for children, caregivers, and incarcerated parents through mentoring, parenting classes, and parent-child interactive sessions to help families maintain bonds and children to thrive despite being affected by incarceration.

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Idaho

Story Link

Area Served: Idaho

Parent Organization: Saint Mark’s Catholic Community
Telephone: 208-484-5326
Address: 760 Northview Boise, ID 83704

E-mail: markojis@msn.com or StoryLinkIdaho2015@gmail.com
Website: stmarksboise.org
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

To strengthen the bond between an inmate and their child or grandchild by reading a children’s book while a volunteer from the program records it. The book and CD is than mailed to the child.

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Illinois

 

Amachi

Area Served: Illinois
Parent Organization: Tower of Refuge, Inc.
Telephone:  217-241-9911
Address: 329 S New St Springfield, IL 62704
Email: info@towerofrefugeinc.com

Website: http://www.chicagolamp.org/

Secondary Office:
Secondary Phone:
Established: 2005
Volunteer Opportunities? Yes

Tower of Refuge is a grassroots organization whose primary purpose is to reduce the rate of recidivism in the state of Illinois through various programs and community effort. We provide a continuum of services to address the complete needs of individuals who are incarcerated, once were incarcerated and their families. Our services include training, education, counseling, HIV/AIDS awareness and homelessness prevention through housing assistance.  Our services and programs focus on improving the successful continuous rehabilitation of the incarcerated and the formerly incarcerated while rebuilding and reconciling family relationships.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern Illinois

Area Served: Illinois counties of St. Clair, Madison, Clinton and Monroe
Parent Organization: None
Telephone: 618-398-3162
Address: 6400 West Main, Suite 1G Belleville, IL 62223
E-mail: bbbsbell@peaknet.net
Website: www.bbbsil.org
Secondary Office: None
Established: 1980
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern Illinois is a donor supported one-to-one mentoring organizations. Our mission is to provide a Big Brother or Big Sisters for every child who wants and needs one.

 

Grace House

Area Served: Chicago Illinois and suburbs
Parent Organization: St. Leonard’s Ministries
Telephone: 312-733-7860
Address: 1801 West Adams St.
Chicago, IL 60612
E-mail: gh-bd@ix.netcom.com
Website: None
Secondary Office: None
Established: 1994
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

A long-term interim housing program for women coming directly out of incarceration.Parenting, education, employment training, substance -abuse and psychological services for women.We have a family re-connection education and therapy program for children, residents and other family members.

Lutheran Social Services of Illinois

Area Served: Illinois
Parent Organization: Prisoner and Family Ministry
Telephone: 847-635-4600
Address: 1001 E. Touhy Ave., Suite 50
Des Plaines, IL 60018
E-mail: jane.otte@lssi.org
Website: www.lssi.org
Secondary Office: None
Established: 1867
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

Provides support to incarcerated men and women, and their children and caregivers. Services include transportation for Visits to Moms (incarcerated in Illinois); family literacy programs for incarcerated mothers and fathers at 19 jails and prisons to record storybooks that are sent to their children; support groups for caregivers; re-entry and family reunification support, information and referral; collaborates with prisons and Habitat for Humanity to enable incarcerated adults and juveniles to construct components for homes for low-income families, and connects previously incarcerated ‘home builders’ with Habitat for Humanity.

 

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago

Parent Organization: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago
Area Served: Cook, Lake and DuPage counties in Illinois and Northwest Indiana
Address: 560 W. Lake St. 5th Fl Chicago, IL 60661
E-mail: contact@creativevisionsia.org
Website: www.bbbschgo.org
E-mail: thurman@bbbschgo.org
Phone: 312-207-5600
Established: 1969
Volunteer Opportunities? Yes

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago matches children ages 7 through 14 with mentors in professionally supported one-to-one relationships. During outings, Bigs and Littles do every day activities that provide children with the opportunity to discover a world of possibilities for their life.

Rainbows for all children

Area Served: Illinois
Parent Organization: Tower of Refuge, Inc.
Telephone: 847-952-1770
Address: 1007 Church St., Suite 408 Evanston, IL 60201
Website: www.rainbows.org
Established: 1983
Volunteer Opportunities? Yes

We offer free peer support groups for children 3-18 who have lost a loved one as a result of death, divorce, incarceration, deportation, military deployment, or any other life-altering, traumatic event.

Women of Power Alumni Association

Area Served: Cook County, Illinois
Parent Organization: Cook County Sheriff’s Dept of Women’s Justice Services
Telephone: 773-674-7731
Address: 2801 S. Rockwell Ave
Chicago, IL 60608
E-mail: swjp@cookcountysheriff.org
Websitewww.cookcountysheriff.org
Secondary Office: None
Established: 2002
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

Women of Power Alumni Association is a peer led support program.WOPAA offers recovery coaching, spiritual support, parenting support groups, an annual health fair, clothing drives and an annual conference focused on formerly incarcerated and at-risk women.WOPAA provides advocacy for formerly incarcerated women.

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Indiana

ORCA

Area Served: Northwest Indiana
Parent Organization: Offender Reentry & Community Assistance, Inc
Telephone: none
Address: 6111 Harrison Street, # 104
Merrillville, IN 46410
E-mail:msgibs@sbcglobal.net; info@offenderentry.org
Website: https://orcainfo.wordpress.com
Secondary Office: 9526 Luebcke LN, Crown Point, IN 46307
Established: 2003
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

Reentry support and services to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated men and women and their families.

Ties That Bind Us

Area Served: Illinois
Parent Organization: – Tower of Refuge, Inc.
Telephone: – 217-241-9911
Address: – 1209 S. 4th Street Springfield, IL  62704
Website: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-ties-that-bind-us–3#/

Email: info@towerofrefugeinc.com
Established: 2005
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities? Yes

Tower of Refuge is a grassroots organization whose primary purpose is to reduce the rate of recidivism in the state of Illinois through various programs and community effort. We provide a continuum of services to address the complete needs of individuals who are incarcerated, once were incarcerated and their families. Our services include training, education, counseling, HIV/AIDS awareness and homelessness prevention through housing assistance. Our services and programs focus on improving the successful continuous rehabilitation of the incarcerated and the formerly incarcerated while rebuilding and reconciling family relationships.

U.S Dream Academy

Area Served: Indianopolis
Telephone: 317-226-4105 ext. 6122
Address: 8620 Montery Road Indianapolis, IN 46226
Websitewww.usdreamacademy.org
Secondary Office: None
Established: 1998

 Provides children in grades 3 through 8 daily after-school programming that includes on-line academic enrichment, which is the cornerstone of the Skill-building component, Dream building and Character building. Homework assistance and one to one mentoring is also provided. Programs currently in Washington, DC; Baltimore, MD; East Orange, NJ; Philadelphia, PA; Orlando, FL;Houston, TX; Salt Lake City, UT; Memphis, TN; Los Angeles, CA; Indianapolis, IN 

Use What You’ve Got Prison Ministry Keeping Families Connected, Inc

Area Served: State of Indiana
Parent Organization: None
Telephone: 317-924-4124; toll free number : 877-764-9977
Address: 3535 Kessler Blvd, N. Dr Suite 122
Indianapolis, IN
E-mail: uwygm@sbcglobal.net
Websitewww.usewhatyouvegotministry.org
Secondary Office:None
Established: 1988
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

Use What You’ve Got Prison Ministry is a prison shuttle service that enables families and friends with no means of transportation to visit loved ones in prison facilities throughout Indiana. UWYGPM is a 501(c)(3) ministry that was started in 1988.

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Iowa

Family Reunification Program

Parent Organization: Creative Visions Human Development Institute
Area Served: Polk County and surrounding counties
Address: 1343 13th Street Des Moines, IA 50314
E-mail: contact@creativevisionsia.org
Website: https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/public_indian_housing/programs/hcv/family
Phone: 515-244-4003 ext. 110
Established: 1996
Volunteer Opportunities? Yes

Creative Visions’ Family Reunification and Right Start Program was developed to help reduce the recidivism rate and prevent intergenerational crime. Creative Visions’ Family Reunification Program provides comprehensive support services to the offender’s family during incarceration period and to the offender six months prior to his or her release.

Kansas

Arts in Prison, Inc.

Area Served: Greater Kansas City Area, Kansas
Parent Organization: None
Telephone: 913-403-0229
Address: 1333 S 27th St
Kansas City, KS 66106
E-mail: info@artsinprison.org
Website: www.artsinprison.org
Secondary Office: None
Established: 1995
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

Arts in Prison, Inc.’s mission is to facilitate personal growth through the arts for the incarcerated and their families. Arts in Prison, Inc. is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization funded by private donations, corporations and grants.

Compeer CARES

Area Served: Sedgwick County, Kansas
Parent Organization: Mental Health Association of South Central Kansas
Telephone: 316-685-1821
Address: 555 N. Woodlawn, Suite 3105
Wichita, KS 67208
E-mail: compeer@mhasck.org
Website: www.mhasck.org
Secondary Office: None
Established: 2003
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

Consistent, caring mentors are matched with children of incarcerated parents/caregivers to serve as a positive role model, advocate, and supportive friend. The goal is to enhance a child’s attitude about life and help reduce the possibility of following the cycle of incarceration.

Kentucky

Operation Open Arms

Area Served: Kentucky
Parent Organization: None
Telephone: 502-493-5007
Address: 8918 Stone Green Way Suite 100
Louisville, KY 40220
E-mail: jbarkley@oparms.org
Website: https://www.oparms.org
Secondary Office: None
Established: 2003
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

Operation Open Arms provides private foster care services and case management for incarcerated individuals and their children.

Louisiana

Someone To Watch Over Me

Area Served: Greater New Orleans Area, Lousiana
Parent Organization: Community Service Center, Inc
Telephone: 504-908-6277
Address: 4000 Magazine St.
New Orleans, LA 70115
E-mail: cscnouw@aol.com
Website: www.cscnouw.org
Secondary Office: None
Established: 1965
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

CSC provides holistic services to assist people coming out of prison and their families in the re-entry process. Someone To Watch Over Me also provides services to children with recently released parents.

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Maine

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Maryland

Big Brothers Big Sisters

Area Served: Central MD, Southern MD and the Lower Eastern Shore
Parent Organization: None
Telephone: 410-243-4000
Address: 3600 Clipper Mill Rd, Suite 250
Baltimore, MD 21211
E-mail: info@biglittle.org
Website: www.biglittle.org
Secondary Office: None
Established: 1950
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

We match competent caring adult mentors with children who want and need them.

Children of Incarcerated Parents

Area Served: Frederick, Maryland
Parent Organization: None
Telephone: 301-473-4103
Address: 275 West Patrick Street
Frederick, MD 21701
E-mail: Scher12345@comcast.net
Websitewww.coipp.org
Secondary Office: Frederick County Public Schools, 115 East Church Street, Frederick, MD 21701
Established: 2006
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: No

We are an inter-agency group that works to inform members of the community of the plight children with incarcerated parents. We distribute resources and useful items to children and their caregivers.

Inside Out

Area Served: Baltimore City
Parent Organization: Inside Out
Telephone:1-888-459-8439
Address: 1829 Montevideo Road Jessup, Maryland 20794
E-mail: david.mccamy@insideoutbalt.org
Website: insideoutinitiative.org
Established: 2017
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

Counseling and mental health support for children with incarcerated parents.

Project SIT

Area Served: Wicomico County, Maryland
Parent Organization: Wicomico County Department of Corrections
Telephone: 410-548-4850, Ext. 361
Address: 411 Naylor Mill Road
Salisbury, MD 21801
E-mail: sit@wicomicocounty.org
Established: 2002
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

Project SIT is a support program for children of prisoners, their caregivers, and their incarcerated parent.Contact visits, after school programming, reintegration services are included.

U.S Dream Academy

Area Served: Baltimore
Telephone: 443-203-4993
Address: 3910 Barrington Road Baltimore, MD 21207
Websitewww.usdreamacademy.org
Secondary Office: None
Established: 1998

Provides children in grades 3 through 8 daily after-school programming that includes on-line academic enrichment, which is the cornerstone of the Skill-building component, Dream building and Character building. Homework assistance and one to one mentoring is also provided. Programs currently in Washington, DC; Baltimore, MD; East Orange, NJ; Philadelphia, PA; Orlando, FL;Houston, TX; Salt Lake City, UT; Memphis, TN; Los Angeles, CA; Indianapolis, IN

 

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Massachusetts

CAI Head Start

Area Served: Essex County, Massachusetts
Parent Organization: Community Action Inc.
Telephone: 978-372-5052
Address: 75 Elm Street
Haverhill, MA 3104
E-mail: dlinett@communityactioninc.org
Website: www.communityactioninc.org
Secondary Office: None
Established: 2001
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

Provide parenting and family literacy services in a step-down facility in Salisbury, MA. Provide substance abuse information and support.

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Michigan

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Jackson County

Area Served: Jackson County, Mississippi
Parent Organization: None
Telephone: 517-784-7181
Address: 536 N. Jackson St.
Jackson, MI 49201
E-mail: office@bbbsjackson.org
Website: https://www.bbbsjackson.org/
Secondary Office: P.O. Box 1802, Jackson, MI 49204
Established: 1967
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

To provide one-on-one mentoring services to children in need of a male/female mentor.

Region IV Area Agency on Aging

Area Served: Berrien, Cass and Van Buren counties, Michigan
Parent Organization: Senior Volunteer and Intergenerational Programs
Telephone: 269-983-7058
Address: 2900 Lakeview Ave
St. Joseph, MI 49085
E-mail: camelliapisegna@areaagencyonaging.org
Website: www.areaagencyonaging.org
Secondary Office: None
Established: 1991
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

Grandparents and relatives raising children with incarcerated parents receive a broad array of support services. Children with incarcerated parents are matched with Foster Grandparents in schools, early learning programs, migrant programs, emergency shelters, etc.

SKIP, Inc. Community Resource Services

Area Served: AL and MI
Parent Organization:  Save Kids of Incarcerated Parents
Telephone:  334/269-4141
Address: PO Box 250347 Montgomery, AL 36125-0347 USA
Email: skipinc@bellsouth.net
Website: skipinc.org
Secondary Office:
Secondary Phone:
Established: 1979
Volunteer Opportunities? Yes

Our Mission is to provide supportive services to children of incarcerated parents and their families, and to increase public awareness of the underlying problems of these children as victims.

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Minnesota

Family Strengthening Project

Area Served: Minneapolis & St. Paul and 7 County Area
Parent Organization: Council on Crime and Justice
Telephone: 612-353-3000
Address: 822 South Third Street Suite 100
Minneapolis, MN 55415
E-mail: info@crimeandjustice.org

Website: https://info.nicic.gov/fsp/
Established: 2000
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

Provides parent education to incarcerated parents at three Minnesota corrections facilities and a pre-release Family Reunification Group for eligible fathers. Also provides post-release transitional support.

Kinship of Greater Minneapolis

Area Served: Anoka & Hennepin Counties in Minnesota primarily
Parent Organization: None
Telephone: 612-588-4655
Address: 3210 Oliver Ave N
Minneapolis, MN 55412
E-mail: mail@kinship.org
Website: https://www.k12academics.com/
Secondary Office: None
Established: 1988
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

Kinship is a community & faith based long-term mentoring programmatching individuals, couples and families to children from single parent homes, homes where one or both parents are incarcerated and homes of recent immigrant or refugee families.

Mentoring Children of Prisoners

Area Served: Minnesota: Anoka, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Isanti, McLeod, Ramsey, Scott, Washington and Wright Counties.
Parent Organization: Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Twin Cities
Telephone: 651-789-2400
Address: 2550 University Ave. West, Suite 410N
St. Paul, MN 55114
E-mail: thinkbig@bigstwincities.org
Website: www.bigstwincities.org
Secondary Office: None
Established: 2003
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

For 89 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Twin Cities (BBBS) has been matching young people ages 7-13 with adult, volunteer mentors. Volunteers can mentor children of prisoners in any BBBS program, including the traditional one-to-one community-based or school-based, Big Couples/Colleagues and Big Families options.

Mentoring Children Of Prisoners

Area Served: Twin Cities Metro, Minnesota
Parent Organization: Big Brothers Big Sisters
Telephone: 651-789-2400
Address: 2550 University Avenue westsuite 410N
St Paul, MN 55114
E-mail: ashotwell@bigstwincities.org
Website: www.bigstwincities.org
Secondary Office: None
Established: 2003
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: children are matched between 7-13 and stay matched until they are 18 or graduate high school

This program specifically matches children with a parent or significant family member who is incarcerated with a caring adult mentor.

Tri-Valley Opportunity Council, Inc.

Area Served: NW Minnesota
Parent Organization: None
Telephone: 218-773-8452
Address: 1825 Central Ave. NW
East Grand Forks, MN 56721
E-mail: laura@tvoc.org
Website: www.tvoc.org
Secondary Office: None
Established: 2005
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: No

Resources and parenting information for families with incarcerated individuals.

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Mississippi

The Storybook Project

Area Served: Mississippi
Parent Organization: Lutheran Episcopal Services in Mississippi
Telephone: 601-859-2680
Address: 161 E. Peace Street, Canton, MS 39046
E-mail: graceepiscopall@outlook.com
Secondary Office: 2 Old River Place, Suite E, Jackson, MS 39202
Established: 1997
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

We help to build relationships between incarcerated non-custodial parents and their children through books. We package and mail books, written messages, and CD recordings of parents reading to their children.

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Missouri

Let’s Start

Area Served: St. Louis, MI
Telephone: 314-241-2324
Address: 1408 S 10th Street St Louis MO 63104
Email: courtney.mcdermott@yahoo.com
Website: https://www.cjmstlouis.org/let-s-start
Established: 1989
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

Let’s Start, Inc. aims to break the cycle of incarceration in families by working with formerly incarcerated women and their children to provide support for recovery and reintegration, mitigate the effects of parental imprisonment, educate the public and inform policy.

ParentLink

Area Served: Missouri-Statewide
Parent Organization: None
Telephone: 1-800-552-8522
Address: 4800 Santana Cir
Columbia, MO 65211
E-mail: parentlink@missouri.edu
Website: https://parentlink.missouri.edu
Secondary Office: None
Established: 1989
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

Our goal is to support Missouri families in making the best possible choices for their families.

University of Missouri Extension 4-H LIFE Program

Area Served: Missouri
Parent Organization: None
Telephone: 573-882-3316
Address: 828 Clark Hall
Columbia, MO 65211
E-mail: gillespiet@missouri.edu
Website: extension.missouri.edu/4hlife
Secondary Office: None
Established: 2000
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities?: Yes

4-H LIFE is a family strengthening program designed to address the needs of children of incarcerated parents and their family members. 4-H LIFE provides a healthy and nurturing family environment during enhanced visits at state correction centers.

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