Family & Corrections Network

     

  National Resource Center on

       Children and Families of the Incarcerated

 

 

Resources from the former CWLA Federal Resource Center for Children of Prisoners:

Mentoring Children of Prisoners Curriculum (All training now provided by Family and Corrections Network learn more...)

Children and families of prisoners are, in some ways, like other children and families that have lives that include risk factors such as parental addictions, poverty, school failure and inadequate or inconsistent parenting. In addition, children of prisoners must cope with the stigma of family involvement in the criminal justice system, the loss of a parent and the isolation that comes with the expectation that they should cope in silence.

Some children and families of prisoners are in grave danger, others are barely coping and still others have access to adequate supports and are managing fairly well. Mentors can play a significant role in the lives of children of prisoners no matter where they are on this continuum. They must however be prepared for the feelings, reactions and behaviors that they may encounter.

The Mentoring Children of Prisoners Curriculum is designed to prepare mentors to have the kind of meaningful relationships that can contribute to the coping process for children of prisoners and their families. The goal is to build a base of understanding and awareness that includes information about the impact of parental incarceration on child development, family dynamics and the parent-child relationships The curriculum has been created to provide information and tools to mentor trainees who have little to no expertise in working with children of prisoners as well as to those who have a solid background in working with this unique population.

This curriculum is also designed to give agencies a tool to prepare mentors for the unique challenges and dynamics of this population. It is structured to give trainers flexibility and freedom to adapt and arrange each session to meet the needs of the agency, the group and the trainer.
Curriculum Training:
A 2 day "Training of Trainers" by a Master Trainer. Program staff are trained to train mentors in effectively working with children of prisoners and their families.

Fee: $3,000.00 plus travel costs of Master Trainer and materials.
Number of trainees: 5-15 staff are trained to be trainers
Materials: Trainees each receive a copy of the Mentoring Curriculum consisting of the Instructor's Guide (for use by trainers) and Participant Resources (for mentor trainees) covering all 10 sessions described below.

Programs are required to provide the location for the training and equipment (overhead projector, TV/VCR). Programs and Trainees sign an agreement to limit the use of the curriculum to the mentors recruited and trained by the specific program contracting for the training. Programs and Trainees are not authorized to train mentors, or share the curriculum, outside of the contracting program.
Competencies:
As a result of participating in this training module participants will:
Learning Objectives:
As a result of participating in this training module participants will be able to:
  1. Explain what is meant by an accumulation of risk to children and what is resiliency

     
  2. Describe how parental incarceration directly impacts the child

     
  3. Describe the impact of separation from the parent on the child's self-esteem, identity, and cultural identity.

     
  4. Describe ways to help children deal with separation and loss

     
  5. Describe why children remain attached to their parents even when the child has experienced trauma, separation, and/or anger related to the parent's incarceration and the events that led to incarceration

     
  6. Explain the importance of supporting children's connections to their parents following parental incarceration

     
  7. Develop strategies to support the parent/child relationship

     
  8. Develop strategies to work with the caregivers and families

     
  9. Develop tools to work effectively with children of prisoners

     
  10. Understand the basics of mentoring and how to apply them to children of prisoners
Outline of Curriculum:
Part I: Building a Base of Awareness and Understanding


Learning Objectives: Session 1
Mentoring Children of prisoners: What it is, what it can be and what it is not

Session 2
Who Are The Children of Prisoners: Characteristics and Variations

Session 3
Family Matters

Session 4
Honoring the significance of the parent-child relationship

Session 5
Meaningful Differences: The impact of race, class, ethnicity and language on children of prisoners and the mentoring relationship

 
Part II: Working with Families, Caregivers and the Children;
Making It Work - Strategies, Ideas, Activities and Skills


Learning Objectives: Session 6
Relationships are Key: Establishing Trust, Promoting Attachment And Building Emotional Strength

Session 7
Encouraging Competence and Confidence

Session 8
Sustaining Faith, Hope and Meaning

Session 9
Supporting the Parent/child/family relationships of children of prisoners

Session 10
Ready to Go and The Really Hard Stuff