This week for See Us Support Us month we focus on enacting Rights 3 and 4. While we can agree that children deserve nothing less, our policies often say otherwise, resulting in children feeling unsafe, confused, ignored or unseen, uncared for, and not considered. That is why the Wrongful Conviction Relief Act and See Us Support Us bill in Connecticut is so important.

Ismail‘s youngest daughter is struggling with her math and social studies homework. If he was home with his family he would be able to help her because he enjoyed and excelled in social studies when he was in school. 

Right #3: “I have the right to be considered when decisions are made about my parent.” The best thing for most children is to prevent separation from their parents in the first place which is what alternatives to incarceration do. Making this Right a Reality includes:

• implementing Family Impact Statements
• ensuring that the children and families of individuals convicted of a crime are considered as part of the sentencing determination

It also means dismantling stigma and the many reentry barriers that parents face, which deeply impact their children. Check out SUSU resources for ending stigma and SUSU Reentry Resources and Tips  for supporting children during reentry.

Call to Action:

• Collaborate with the Department of Probation and court stakeholders to implement Family Impact Statements.Learn more. 

Right #4: “I have the right to be well-cared for in my parent’s absence.”
Most children live with family members (broadly defined) when their parent is incarcerated and the Rights to Realities roadmap included offering subsidized guardianship that does not require foster care placement to ensure caregivers had the financial resources to care for children. While 42 States offer some form of subsidized guardianship, most require foster care placement to be eligible. Some states offer Child-Only Grants which do not depend on the caregiver’s income.  To learn what is available, contact your Department of Human Services or Department of Social Services, and see this 2023 Child Trends report. In Isma’il case he was the primary breadwinner so his children mother became a single parent with no access to this subsidy.

Call to Action:

• Watch Caring Through Struggle by Echoes of Incarceration to learn what children need from their caregivers.
• Make your own video of why these proposals matter to you to share with the legislators cops the petition and on our YouTube channel