HEAD START/ EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION

Responding to Young Children of Prisoners and Their Families

An estimated 2.3 million children have a parent in prison or jail in the US.

Early care and education programs including Head Start programs are uniquely poised to address the needs of the youngest of these children.

This 90-minute telephone training session was presented by Family and Corrections Network, provider of the Children of Prisoners Library. This live interactive event focused on:

• The needs of infants, toddlers and preschoolers with an incarcerated parent.
• The impact of parental incarceration on early development
• Assessment of risks and protections
• The role of early care and education professionals in supporting young children of prisoners and their families
• Personal assumptions and attitudes that influence reactions to children of prisoners

This training provides practical strategies for responding to children of prisoners, communicating with caregivers and engaging the incarcerated parent. Specific recommendations for classroom practice and administrative policy are given.

Our trainer is Ann Adalist-Estrin of Family and Corrections Network. Ann is the author of the Children of Prisoners Library, a family therapist and frequent presenter at national Head Start events. She is the co-author (with Jim Mustin) of Responding to Children and Families of Prisoners, A Community Guide.

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