Goal: To provide family support services for young mothers in prison aswell as a day nursery for families outside prison
Funding: From HM Prison Service
Contact: Noreen Higgins, centre manager, 01904 772 078
Askham Grange open prison's family centre was opened in April last yearto provide a day care service for woman prisoners with babies as well asmuch needed childcare places in this largely rural area near Leeds.
Run by Leeds City Council with money from HM Prison Service, the centrehas 22 places and currently provides care for the children of 10 femaleprisoners while they attend education courses and work placements.
Also, unlike other secure settings, prisoners' children are able to mixwith those from the wider community. Seventeen children up to the age ofthree currently attend the centre.
Centre manager Noreen Higgins explains that because the prisonspecialises in the reintegration of prisoners back into society theseplacements are vital.
She says: "What was happening before was that there was a limited daycare service so many of the mothers were missing out on some of thesecourses and outside work."
Despite its secure setting every attempt is made to run it like anyother family centre in the city and as a result it is the firstchildren's unit in a prison to have no bars, staff who do not wearuniforms or carry radios, and is able to offer all-day care.
This approach has resulted in the centre winning a prestigious awardfrom the Butler Trust, which promotes best practice in prisons.
Under current prison regulations female prisoners are only allowed tostay with their children until they are 18 months old when they areplaced with family members or in local authority care since prison isseen as an unsuitable environment.
What next: Higgins says future plans for the centre are to develop arange of services for those prisoners with older children. This willinclude liaising with schools as well as the possibility of family awaydays.
