One of the primary ways to reduce the likelihood of an incarcerated dad returning to prison is to help him connect with his family before his release. Research shows that child visits, in particular, is an effective tactic to connect him to his family and, in turn, reduce recidivism.
If you work with incarcerated dads and have implemented child visits, or would like to implement implement them, this tip sheet contains 15 awesome tips to help dads plan for such visits.
The tips fall into the following categories:
- Things to Consider Before the Visit
- Things to Consider During the Visit
- Things to Consider After the Visit
It also includes references for the caregivers of incarcerated dads’ children that can help those caregivers talk to children about having an incarcerated parent.
If you use National Fatherhood Initiative’s evidence-based InsideOut Dad® program, I encourage you to integrate these tips. They pair particularly well with the core session on developing a fathering plan while in prison and with the optional reentry session on access and visitation. If you don’t use InsideOut Dad®, you might not be aware that the program has an optional reentry session with guidance and tips on helping dads to have successful child visits after release. The program not only helps dads to be better dads while in prison, it helps them to successfully reenter the lives of their families and to become a positive force in their communities.
Click here to download our free ebook The Power of Fatherhood Education in Corrections and Reentry.
Have you implemented child visits in your work with incarcerated dads?
If so, do you help them with what to do before, during, and after a visit?
