Children of incarcerated parents are a subset of American children at risk.
Almost 3 million American children have an incarcerated parent.[1]
Among black children the rate is 1 in 9, Hispanics 1 in 28 and white 1 in 57.[2]
Children of incarcerated parents are a subset of American children at risk.
Almost 3 million American children have an incarcerated parent.[1]
Among black children the rate is 1 in 9, Hispanics 1 in 28 and white 1 in 57.[2]
We spend $1,518,1479.96 in cost for opening one drop-in center for one year that will serve 630 children and their families. View our media kit here.
CWIP Locations open by year:
RIVERSIDE (2024), OAKLAND (2025), BRONX (2025)
FREE is dedicated to working with and improving the lives of the 1 in 28 children with an incarcerated parent. Our focus is raising children to be happy, healthy and productive citizens. FREE, along with a network of faith-based, secular and professional organizations re-introduce children to their incarcerated parents, create positive memories and moments, and facilitate lasting bonds between children and the parent which lasts a lifetime.
FREE works directly with the state’s Department of Corrections to determine which individuals under supervision would best benefit from parental mentoring and bonding visits during their rehabilitation process. Once these individuals are identified by the DOC, we then reach out to the family and their children to inform them about the CWIP program.
Our goal is to mitigate the trauma caused by prison separation. We coordinate wraparound services, conduct Bonding Visits, and advocate for stronger policies to strengthen the bond between children and the incarcerated parent(s).
The CWIP Program assures that our children with incarcerated parents have opportunities to be cared for and supported in their development by responsible adults, helpful professionals, and social services within their communities.
CWIP is comprised of social workers, researchers, pastors, criminal justice professionals, educators, journalists, and technology specialists. In addition, directors, staff, and volunteers are racially, ethnically, religiously and demographically reflective of the communities we serve and the population of our children and their incarcerated parents. Our broad diversity and life experiences yield tremendous benefits as we work to best serve and understand the perspectives of the children, caregivers, and their parents.
We accomplish this vision through a multi-skilled, multidisciplinary team approach that aims:
Communities with a large portion of incarcerated members cause a strain on social services and resources. When a parent and child share a bond throughout the incarceration process, that parent is less likely to experience recidivism and become more active participants within their neighborhood, while providing the child with a stable and more positive home.
Many children of incarcerated parents have experienced trauma related to their parent’s arrest, social stigma, isolation, and much more.[7] FREE will help create more positive memories and anxiety free parent child meetings. CWIP focuses on decreasing depression and parent separation anxiety, improving emotional development, stopping delinquent juvenile behaviors, and stopping the cycle of incarceration.
Besides lowering recidivism among incarcerated parents, there is evidence that maintaining the child/parent relationship while a parent is incarcerated improves a child’s emotional response to the incarceration and encourages parent/child attachment.
Children who have an incarcerated parent may experience financial hardship that result from the loss of that parent’s income.[5] Further, some incarcerated parents face termination of parental rights because their children have been in the foster care system beyond the time allowed by law.[6] These children require support from local, state, and federal systems to serve their needs.
[1] Pew Charitable Trusts, 2010
[2] Pew Research Center’s Economic Mobility Project
[3] La Vigne, Davies & Brazzell, 2008
[4] La Vigneetal., 2008
[5] General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 2011
[6] U.S. Government Accountability Office(GAO), 2011
[7] La Vigneetal.,2008
[8] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC),2013; Phillips & Gleeson, 2007
[9] Ibid
[10] Sentencing Project, 2009
[11] Sentencing Project/Research and Advocacy for Reform, 2009
[12] Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2007
[13] Bureau of Justice Statistics
[14] Sentencing Project, 2009
[15] Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report, 2000
[16] Sentencing Project/Research and Advocacy for Reform, 2009
[17] Sentencing Project, 2009
[18] Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2007