Mid-Atlantic Network of Youth & Family Services (MANY)
and the Mentoring Children of Prisoners Support Center
Present the Mentoring Children of Prisoners National Conference
in Kansas City, MO April 16th - 20th 2011
Since it's the Mentoring Children of Prisoners (MCP) initiative was created in 2003, 175, 542 mentor/mentee matches were made.
Yet in 2007, there were 809,800 parents incarcerated in U.S. state and federal prisons. Consequently, there were 1.7 million children in America with a parent in prison; more than 70% of whom were children of color.
Presumably, due to a decline in the economy, the number of children with parents in prison has increased. However In 2011, Congress decided to discontinue appropriating funds for the MCP initiative.
So how will we carry on the legacy of the MCP initiative...
Through the Mentoring Children of Prisoners Program, FYSB awards grants to community organizations that provide mentors to children and youth with incarcerated parents. Each mentoring program is designed to ensure that mentors provide young people with safe and trusting relationships; healthy messages about life and social behavior; appropriate guidance from a positive adult role model; and opportunities for increased participation in education, civic service, and community activities
Services
Grant recipients provide services, both directly and in collaboration with other local agencies, to strengthen and support children of incarcerated parents and their families. This includes connecting children with their imprisoned parent, when appropriate. Grantees also cultivate mentors from within the child's family and community through: * Recruiting. Grantees are required to recruit a diverse group of mentors who are committed to spending at least an hour a week with their mentee for at least a year. * Screening. Grant recipients are required to screen volunteers extensively through appropriate reference checks, criminal background checks, and child and domestic abuse record checks, to ensure that they pose no safety risk to the young people. * Training. Mentors must attend an orientation and training in mentoring skills before being assigned to a young person. * Monitoring and Evaluating. Grantees are required to provide ongoing support and oversight of the mentoring relationship to ensure that young people are receiving appropriate support and are benefiting from the mentor match. Outcomes for each participating youth are measured by such factors as academic achievement and avoidance of risky behaviors.
Grantees also incorporate the Positive Youth Development, or PYD, approach into their programs. PYD suggests that the best way to prevent risky behavior is to help youth achieve their full potential. Youth development strategies focus on giving young people the chance to exercise leadership, build skills and become involved in their communities.
For More Information:
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/fysb/
http://www.manynet.org
http://www.mcpsupportcenter.com
Filmed on location at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center in Kansas City, MO
Documentary was created by: Legacy Ent. Media Group
Contact: (248) 812 - 9340 or thelemg@gmail.com
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INCARCERATED PARENTS: Breaking The Cycleby RalphFigaro395 views
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