Incarcerated Parent Advocacy Program

The DCFS Statewide Incarcerated Parent Advocacy Program was created in 2018 to help incarcerated parents stay connected with their families. Through collaboration with the Illinois Department of Corrections, county jail administrators and other partners, the program identifies and shares best practices to support incarcerated parents and provides guidance to families, caseworkers and correctional staff to overcome barriers in engaging incarcerated parents and bring hope to families facing incarceration.

Incarcerated parents are entitled to the same level of engagement in DCFS services as non-incarcerated parents, including the right to:

• Visitation

Visitation is a legal right for all youth in care and their families of origin, unless limited by court order or reduced below weekly via a DCFS Supervisory Critical Decision. Visitation is the best method for maintaining and rebuilding relationships between incarcerated parents and their children and should take place as often as possible. Per DCFS policy and procedure, visitation should occur weekly; however, visitation may be less frequent for parents who are incarcerated several hours away from their children. In these instances, visitation should still be provided at least monthly. Frequent alternative contacts between in-person visits are encouraged and can include phone calls, letters, photos or other methods of communication, including video contact. It is strongly recommended that additional video contact be arranged between the child and their parent when both the child and parent are benefiting from contact.

A Visitation Plan should be developed for and provided to the parent (and others), which outlines how often visitation and other contact will occur. If visitation is being reduced in frequency, or suspended for a period of time, the parent should be given a “Notice of Critical Decision” form that includes an explanation of the right to appeal and be informed verbally of the reasoning. A new Visitation Plan should be created that explains what should occur for visits to be resumed. Visitation should never be eliminated indefinitely without a court order. If a parent disagrees with the Visitation Plan, or a lack thereof, they may file an appeal.

• Participate in Child and Family Team Meetings and Administrative Case Reviews

Child and Family Team Meetings (CFTM) are held at regular intervals. If the goal for the youth in care is to return home, parents are to be invited. If an in-person meeting is not possible, the parent should be invited to participate via other avenues such as telephone or videoconferencing. These meetings are designed to discuss any complex issues as well as service planning.

Administrative Case Reviews (ACR) are federally mandated to ensure that DCFS is adhering to laws and DCFS policies and procedures and actively focusing on achieving permanency and maintaining the safety and well-being of youth in care. An ACR should be held every six months after a youth comes into DCFS care. The caseworker is responsible for coordinating with the correctional facility to arrange the parent’s participation. ACR staff are not part of the DCFS case. They focus on adherence to the rights of all parties involved in the case, prioritizing the child.

• Service planning

The Service Plan is developed through communication between the caseworker, youth in care and their parents. The goal is to identify what services are needed to resolve any issues that brought the youth into DCFS care, so the youth may be returned home. Service Plans should be updated based on the circumstances of the family. If a parent is incarcerated, the Service Plan should include any services available in the detention center. If a service is not available, yet needs to be on the Service Plan, the parent’s inability to enroll in that service should be taken into consideration when the caseworker rates the parent’s “Progress” prior to each ACR. If a parent disagrees with the Service Plan, they may file an appeal.

• Attend and participate in court proceedings

An incarcerated parent has the right to attend court proceedings regarding their child. If the parent is unable to attend in person, arrangements should be made for them to attend via video or teleconferencing. The caseworker should work with the correctional facility’s point of contact to coordinate the parent’s attendance at any court proceedings. 

Resources for working with incarcerated parents and their children

• The National Resource Center on Children & Families of the Incarcerated (at Rutgers-Camden) provides a variety of free, online resources and information designed for people serving children of incarcerated parents and their caregivers. Questions Children Ask was developed to plan for what children may ask when their parent is incarcerated, and to prepare the caregivers for questions a child may not ask.
• Youth.gov provides interactive tools and other resources to help youth-serving organizations and community partnerships plan, implement and participate in effective programs for youth. Visit the Children of Incarcerated Parents section of their website for a wealth of information for parents, caregivers, teachers and child welfare professionals. The Tip Sheet for Incarcerated Parents: Planning for a Visit from Your Child/Children contains information incarcerated parents can use to help make visitation a positive and beneficial experience for everyone involved.
• Recommendations for a DCFS-involved Incarcerated Parent
• Illinois Department of Corrections: Visitation Rules & Information
• Prison Fellowship: How to Prepare for a Prison Visit
• National Incarceration Association: The Definitive Guide on Post Incarceration Syndrome (PICS)
• Be Strong Families: Understanding Post Incarceration Syndrome webinar

For more information about the Incarcerated Parent Advocacy Program, contact:

Illinois Department of Children and Family Services
Statewide Incarcerated Parent Advocacy Program Administrator
DCFS.IncarceratedParentProgram@illinois.gov
312-898-7947