Family-strengthening programs seek to maintain and build healthy relationships between parents who are incarcerated and their children. They have the potential to reduce the harmful effects of incarceration on families. A recent investigation of family-strengthening programs (involving a literature review, site visits, and interviews with experts) identified six recommendations for programs working with families affected by incarceration. These recommendations are meant to help programs address the broad range of families’ needs.  This brief describes opportunities to apply these six recommendations for designing, developing, and implementing high-quality services.

  1. Engage caregivers who are not incarcerated. 
  2. Consider children’s ages in program design.
  3. Consider the parent’s role in the child’s life.
  4. Collaborate across systems.
  5. Address barriers to program engagement.
  6. Promote families’ financial stability.

Read the full article about families affected by incarceration byEmily Brennan, Meghan McCormick, Bright Sarfo, and Michelle S. Manno at MDRC.