In this photo you see me and Jackie Breger publicizing the Bill of Rights at the California Association for the Education of Young Children conference in San Diego, February 2004.

You can obtain free copies of the Bill of Rights for Children of Incarcerated Parents (see below) by sending an e-mail to http://sfcipp.org or download a PDF version. (669KB)

You can read about how the Bill of Rights  can be used at this site:  www.cwla.org/articles/cv0409cop.htm.

You can invite me to your community to give the workshop.

I have compiled a bibliography of books about this subject, for children and for caregivers.  It's at: www.eceteacher.org/bibliography/bibliography-cip.htm

NAEYC members can join an Interest Group on Children of Incarcerated Parents (CHIPS) by sending an e-mail to: froznowski-at-cpsd.us indicating your interest.  Name, address, telephone, e-mail address, and anything else that you think will be useful should be included. 

Whatever you do, please try to raise community consciousness about these children, now five percent of American children, and rising.

Read my short introduction to this subject I wrote for a forthcoming encyclopedia.

I'm writing papers on issues about children who have parents in prison. They will appear here as I write them, and you're encouraged to use them to get people talking about their ideas and feelings about what the children need and what the community should move to provide for them.

Thank you.
Sydney

Discussion Paper 1: (409kb PDF)
3-7 YEAR OLD CHILDREN WITH A PARENT IN PRISON: WHAT DO TEACHERS NEED TO KNOW?

Discussion Paper 2: (220kb PDF)
WHAT ARE THE NEEDS IN GENERAL OF YOUNG CHILDREN WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED TRAUMATIC EVENTS?

Discussion Paper 3:  (54kb PDF)
SUPPORTING GRANDPARENTS OR OTHER RELATIVES OR FOSTER PARENTS WHO ARE CARING FOR A CHILD WITH A PARENT IN PRISON 

Discussion Paper 4:   (242kb PDF)
UNCOVERING THE ELEPHANT IN THE LIVING ROOM: Confidentiality and Children  with Parents in Prison

SF Board of Supervisors has endorsed the Bill of Rights for Children of Incarcerated Parents (Nov. 15, 2005):   (PDF)
www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/bdsupvrs/resolutions05/r0545-05.pdf or go here: SF BOS resolution

Article published in the San Francisco Chronicle: 
SFPD's new plan considers kids if parent arrested

Children's Voice Article, Sept./Oct., 2004
"A Bill of Rights for Children of Prisoners" By Nell Bernstein
www.cwla.org/articles/cv0409cop.htm

Here's a letter I wrote to someone who wanted to know what he can do in prison
to become a better father: LETTER_TO_AN_INQUIRING_PRISONER.doc

Psychologists for Social Responsibility website:
Children at Risk

Two University of Illinois documents released Feb. 12, 2008:

Breaking the Bonds: (PDF) Understanding the needs of Children of Incarcerated Parents

Understanding the Needs of Children of Incarcerated Parents -- Mentors Perspective (PDF)

Non-UI documents:

(1) A report (PDF) for Maryland Corrections reviewing effective programs

(2) Charts (PDF) by Amy Dworsky (Chapin Hall at UChicago) that show some figures for children in foster care who's mothers are in Illinois Prison or Cook County Jail (Illinois has probably the best, longest-running child welfare database in the U.S.)

(3) A document (PDF) for Sandra Barnhill's program that helps children and families maintain contact with parents in prison and efforts to expand it in other communities around the country (with Annie E. Casey funds).

Comment on the NY Times "City Room" blog regarding a series of articles examinaning the foster care system in New York. Comment number six.