How many children of prisoners are there?
There is no national system in place to record whether a prisoner has any children, but it is estimated that 200,000 children per year in England and Wales experience parental imprisonment. That means more children are affected by parental imprisonment each year than are in the care system. Seven per cent of children will be affected by parental imprisonment during their school years - on average two children in every class.
How can you know if a child is affected by parental imprisonment?
Due to the current lack of recording and information sharing on this issue, professionals may not know whether the children they work with have a parent in prison. Professionals need to look out for changes in school attendance, a decline in emotional wellbeing, financial hardship, behavioural changes, bullying and isolation. Children experiencing parental imprisonment often feel many of the same emotions associated with bereavement.
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