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What Happens to the Children of Incarcerated Parents?
Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison
Children of incarcerated parents face many challenges. One of the most serious is the absence of a parent to care for them and actively participate in their upbringing. Often, these children are sent to live with relatives, or in some cases, they end up in foster care. The bond between the incarcerated parent and the child also suffers as well, as many children with incarcerated parents only visit their parents rarely, and some do not visit at all. In many cases, this separation may lead to attachment issues as well as problems dealing with extreme emotions, including anger.
The fate of children of incarcerated parents often depends on the marital status of the incarcerated parent. If the parent who is incarcerated was married or even lived with the child’s other parent, this may at least minimize the upheaval of the child’s home life. In such a case, the child may continue living in the family home with the remaining parent. In the event that the child’s parents did not live together, the child may go to live with his other parent during the prison sentence.
Unfortunately, many children of incarcerated parents do not have another parent with whom they can live while the parent who had custody is incarcerated. In some cases, the other parent may be deceased. Sometimes, however, the remaining parent is unable or unwilling to care for the child while the other parent is in prison. In such a case, children of incarcerated parents may be sent to live with other relatives or be cared for by foster parents.
In addition to upheavals that affect living arrangements, children of incarcerated parents face the loss of a parent's daily attention and care. In fact, many children of incarcerated parents not only lose the daily presence of the incarcerated parent in their lives but also suffer damage to the bond they enjoyed with the parent. Often, children of incarcerated parents visit their imprisoned parent only rarely or not at all. Additionally, phone and written communication is often minimal.
Children of imprisoned parents may also suffer financially and emotionally. In many cases, the loss of the incarcerated parent’s income has a direct effect on the child’s lifestyle. In a two-parent household, for example, the loss of one parent's income may lead to significant financial difficulties. Often, children of incarcerated parents also struggle with emotional pain, confusion, and anger.
Nicole Madison
Nicole’s thirst for knowledge inspired her to become a WiseGEEK writer, and she focuses primarily on topics such as homeschooling, parenting, health, science, and business. When not writing or spending time with her four children, Nicole enjoys reading, camping, and going to the beach.
Learn more...
Nicole Madison
Nicole’s thirst for knowledge inspired her to become a WiseGEEK writer, and she focuses primarily on topics such as homeschooling, parenting, health, science, and business. When not writing or spending time with her four children, Nicole enjoys reading, camping, and going to the beach.
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![A foster parent may take care of a child until a child's biological parents are able to handle the responsibility.]()
By: GelpiA foster parent may take care of a child until a child's biological parents are able to handle the responsibility. -
![The bond between a prison parent and their child often suffers, as children rarely or never visit.]()
By: BortN66The bond between a prison parent and their child often suffers, as children rarely or never visit. -
![The child of an incarcerated adult may be sent to live with a relative.]()
By: alexsokolovThe child of an incarcerated adult may be sent to live with a relative.
Discussion Comments
@Grivusangel -- Sad, but true. I have a cousin who is a social worker, and she said the situations with children with incarcerated parents is often an impossible one. She said with the rise in meth production, it's not uncommon for both parents to be jailed and the child sent to foster care. It's really a terrible thing.
She said mentoring children of incarcerated parents works as well as anything does, that they need a stable adult influence and a mentor can provide that.
Incarcerated parents make up one of the most challenging problems for children in the inner city. It's nearly impossible to completely compensate for the absence of that parent, to say nothing of the shame and anger many children feel toward the parent who is in jail.
Many of these children end up in foster care, which is sometimes as abusive as the child being cared for by a family member. It's a shame that family friends are often not considered as foster parents. They would provide familiarity and stability.
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