Guest Post by Heidi Wener, Kids-A-Part Community Case Manager
“On Saturday May 12th, 20 mothers residing inside the walls of the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility were joined by their 34 children to celebrate Mother’s Day. A hot pancake breakfast made for sticky fingers and faces, and the simple act of washing hands together generated echoing laughter that bounced off of the cool stone walls. Basketballs flew through the air and families stretched and relaxed on yoga mats along the back and side walls. Story time was sweet and quiet as our dear friend Duncan McDougall from CLiF read to moms and children cuddled together on couches and chairs. Children happily chose new books to keep, thanks to CLiF. The impact of the children receiving something special and new while also spending time with mom, is an event that many have not experienced in a long time. Face paints turned kids into super heroes, and moms into tigers, clowns and flower faces! Thoughtful creativity swept through the room as moms and children made Mother’s Day cards for grandmothers and caregivers. And the well loved board games, Legos, trains, play kitchen, and chalk board were a part of this visit as usual.
Kids-A-Part is grateful to the CRCF Correctional Officers who work with us at these visits and the the Department of Corrections, for understanding the importance of children maintaining contact with their incarcerated mother. We are grateful too for our wonderful KAP volunteers. These folks are committed to being a part of what families need, they celebrate our joys with us, and continue to stand with families despite the emotionally taxing nature of the volunteer role.
Bringing children into a correctional facility is not without its challenges. But the Kids-A-Part staff don’t let much prevent the visits from happening. On this day we had a young lady coming to see mom for the first time in over a year. She had dressed up for the occasion , but unfortunately her outfit did not meet the facility dress code. I had a spare sweater for just this situation and she was able to borrow clogs that another staff member had in her car. This did dull her teenage style but it meant that she met the requirements for entering the building. We also engaged in a spirited conversation with a teen who had just had his hair buzz cut. He was convinced that he should be able to wear his hat into the facility as he was not comfortable with his new style yet. A few minutes of touch and go exchanges, and hearing that he not only looked great, but also more grown up, and he conceded that he could go without the hat for a few hours to see mom.
Despite the mixed emotions – happiness, fear, anxiety, anger, excitement – running through their heads and hearts, the children made the trip to see their incarcerated mothers. The hugs and kisses are proof that she still exists, that she is okay, and that she hasn’t forgotten about them, no matter how long she may be away.”
Lund’s Kids-A-Part (KAP) program seeks to reduce the traumatic impact of a mom’s incarceration on her children, to provide parenting support to the incarcerated mother, and to support the children’s caregivers in the community.
Kids-A-Part:
- Maintains a child-friendly visiting space inside the correctional facility
- Individual and group visits in the child friendly visiting room at the correctional facility, that allow for developmentally appropriate parent child contact, unlike regular facility supported visitation
- Helps children enter and leave the correctional facility in a safe and non-intimidating way
- Additional services and activities that support healthy contact between incarcerated mothers and their children including facilitated phone calls from the KAP office, Mom’s mail , and Storybook
- Provides parenting education and child development groups for moms
- Financial assistance for families to support child contact with their incarcerated mothers, for whom visiting the correctional facility would otherwise be impossible
- Connects caregivers to needed resources during the mom’s incarceration
- Advocates for family-centered approaches within the correctional facility
- Participates in making re-entry plans for moms leaving the correctional facility
