1. Prison and Parenthood Lesson Seven Student Edition

2. According to Sesame Street:

3. Today’s Main Idea: The US prison population has experienced unprecedented growth in the last 40 years. The increasing number of inmates has created a larger number of children who have parents incarcerated.

4. The Statistics: That equals about 1 in 28 children 2/3rds of these parents are non-violent offenders Statistics by race: 1 in 110 white children have an incarcerated parent 1 in 15 African American children have an incarcerated parent 1 if 41 Hispanic children have an incarcerated parent

5. Mental Health:

6. Guardianship: Reports say that ¼ of all temporary guardians do not tell children their parent is incarcerated.

7. Approximately 88% of incarcerated fathers have children living with the mother and only 2% have a dependent in foster care. Children with incarcerated mothers are more likely to be in foster care – 11% are placed in this system. Only 45% of these children are with their fathers and 23% are in the custody of a relative or friend.

8. In the Home…:

9. Relationships: Children with an incarcerated parent experience unique and challenging developmental issues. These issues vary between parent and child, but below are listed some trends. Ages: 2 to 11 – Separation anxiety 7 to 10 – Developmental regression, poor self concept and trauma in the home 11 to 14 – Out of line behavior and tendency to defy authority 15 to 18 – Early independence from parents

10. Issues at School: Children tend to be more anti-social, especially in older children. Students with parents in jail tend to exhibit below grade level academic performance. Children in this group also have a harder time focusing in school.

11. The Aftermath: Males with incarcerated fathers are more likely to have legal troubles. The more a child communicates with an incarcerated the less issues they tend to deal with in school and at home.