Children with a parent in prison say they need to be seen, recognized and responded to, says report

The voices of children with a parent in prison have been heard for the first time in more than a decade, in a new report from Monash University, with research supported by SHINE for Kids.

The report, “Living with a parent in prison: Learning from young people,” provides a snapshot of the experiences of this disadvantaged and overlooked group of children.

The children, aged between 11 and 15 years old, were consulted during focus groups conducted by Associate Professor Catherine Flynn from Monash University’s Social Work Department in the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, and offered great insight into what can be done differently to support them.

Findings both reinforce what is already known about children affected by parental imprisonment, and offer a nuanced, child-focused perspective.

Associate Professor Flynn said it is clear that children’s thoughts and views reflect what researchers and advocates have been saying for a long time, that they need more support from the moment a parent is arrested to alleviate stress on already-stressed families, and for children to be seen and supported via existing systems, including educators, police and social services.

For example, one child specifically suggested that what “… would be helpful is probably [Police] taking that kid into the room talking to them … and keeping their mind off the fact … so that kid doesn’t have to see [their parent arrested].”

According to Associate Professor Flynn, Australia currently has no guidelines around supporting children during the time of parental arrest. “Many children in our community confront the experience of parents being arrested on a daily basis. When we arrest adults, more often than not, we are arresting parents,” Associate Professor Flynn said.

SHINE for Kids is a national charity working with children whose parents are in prison, and CEO Julie Hourigan said the report will play a crucial role in guiding advocacy by presenting an, until now, missing perspective.

“The children have said they want to be treated with respect and be better understood by the people they come into contact with during this difficult time. They mainly want to be heard,” Hourigan said. “It’s not a large ask.”

In the past decade, only three studies have heard directly from children of prisoners. As a result, their voice has been largely absent in research and policy development.

An estimated 40,000 children in Australia have a parent in prison on any given day. This number is estimated as no formal process exists to identify and support these children.

“This number of children could fill a stadium, but support is sparse and ad hoc, despite concern for them being significant enough to warrant recent parliamentary inquiries in NSW and Victoria,” Hourigan said.

“Opportunities to identify and support children are being missed from the time of a parent’s arrest right through to sentencing and at school. This report highlights these missed chances by sharing children’s reflections on the people they wish could have better understood or helped them.”

The experiences of children spoken with for this study confirm what previous research shows: that it falls primarily to the extended family to manage the fallout when a parent is incarcerated and that many families do not have the support they need.

Another child said, “I was in and out of foster care. And my uncle, he’d take me now and then, when he can. But he’d put me back in [Foster Care].”

The study is part of continuing research into the flow on effects of the justice system in the community, with caregivers surveyed for a report released in 2023, Mapping the needs and experiences of children affected by parental imprisonment: A national survey.

Another study is being planned to build upon this research and inform future policy recommendations so that they are based on a fully formed understanding of the experiences of children and families.