EDC Mentoring Program Assists Children with Incarcerated Mothers

When a woman is convicted of a crime and sent to prison, family life can fall apart. To support children as they live through the trauma of a mother’s imprisonment, EDC is working with the Massachusetts-based Aid to Incarcerated Mothers (AIM) to provide children with an adult mentor. With training from EDC and AIM staff, the mentors help children, ages 4–14, build their sense of self-confidence and stability, strengthen their academic skills, and maintain family relationships.

The program, known as Children and Mentors Partnership, hopes to recruit and train more than 100 mentors. It is part of a national initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Family and Youth Services Bureau, which supports about 50 similar programs across the country.