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Who are we?
Each year, an estimated 700,000 children within the newly expanded European Union are separated from an incarcerated parent; sometimes both parents are in prison 1. Yet few people are fully aware of the impact that the imprisonment of a mother or father can have on the early development of a child. The European Committee for Children of Imprisoned Parents (EUROCHIPS), funded by the Bernard van Leer Foundation, is a European-wide initiative on behalf of children with an imprisoned parent. With its network of partners active within prison-related, child's rights and child-welfare fields in France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and other countries, EUROCHIPS is seeking to boost awareness and achieve new ways of thinking, acting and interacting on issues concerning prisoners' children. EUROCHIPS' message is clear: the child and his or her best interests are at the heart of its action. Children are entitled to the truth about their parent's incarceration. Above all, children must be able to maintain a link with both parents if separated from one or both, a right stipulated in the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the 2000 Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.
1 Statistics are based on extrapolations, given that precise figures concerning imprisoned parents and children are difficult to obtain. Few records are kept on the number of children an inmate has, and inmates frequently do not disclose that they are parents when asked. Women often conceal the existence of young children for fear that they will be placed in institutions or foster care
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What are we doing?
- Acting as a voice for prisoners' children when boosting awareness among the public, judges, schools, childcare professionals, prison staff and relevant organizations and administrations.
- Providing forums to foster the exchange of ideas and good practice for children with imprisoned parents.
- Building a resource center to provide more accurate statistics on the number of children affected, explore the psychological and social impact of a parent's incarceration, and highlight the importance of maintaining family ties.
- Training of professionals and volunteers.
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What kind of initiatives
are we trying to promote?
- Special child-friendly visiting areas in prisons as well as extended visits for children.
- Accompaniment of children by specially trained volunteers when prison visits are hindered by geographical distances, family conflicts, logistical problems, etc.
- Initiatives that facilitate communication between children and detainee parents, such as increased telephone access.
- Parenting programs such as discussion groups and crafts workshops in prisons where parents create objects for the child.
- Measures that give parents the means to exercise their parental responsibilities from the time of arrest and in any subsequent proceedings and by promoting disciplinary measures and custodial alternatives to prison whenever possible and if compatible with the sentence being served, particularly for mothers with very young children.
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Current projects
- Children of Imprisoned Parents: A Handbook of Practice and Experience EUROCHIPS is currently drafting a good practice guide exploring various themes relevant to prisoners' children and some of the work currently being carried out in Europe. Themes include Remaining a Parent in Prison; Mothers and Infants Living in Prisons; The Psychological Impact of a Parents's Incarceration on a Child; Children Visiting Prisons; Training Needs and Methods; Influencing Public Policy; and The Legal and Juridical Framework. The handbook will be presented at a European conference organized by EUROCHIPS in 2006.
- Training Without Borders We are currently developing and coordinating training sessions in various languages on transnational experience for psychologists, social workers, volunteers, prison personnel, magistrates, judges and other professionals.
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