CYP Now - Charities urge government action on parental imprisonment

Babies of convicted criminals should be treated as a specific vulnerable group by government and impact assessments carried out to identify their needs, a joint report by the NSPCC and Barnardo's has said.

The report, An Unfair Sentence, says that because of their circumstances, babies of people serving either a custodial or non-custodial sentence should be treated as a specific group so that their needs are prioritised in healthcare, early years services, and children’s services planning.

It calls on government to introduce impact assessments for children of parents given either custodial or non-custodial sentences.

The report also calls for:

Chris Cuthbert, head of strategy & development at the NSPCC, said identifying babies and infants with a parent in the criminal justice system as a specific vulnerable group will help stop them “falling through the gaps and missing out on vital care”.

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