By Violet Hott, Adrienne Testa and Leslie Bushara
Published by Curator: The Museum Journal

ACM is pleased to share that its members are leading the way in strengthening parent–child bonds and improved behavior of parents during incarceration. Recently Children’s Museum of Manhattan and Hands On Children’s Museum in Olympia were published in Curator: The Museum Journal.

ABSTRACT

A large and increasing number of children in the United States are systematically rendered invisible due to the effects of parental incarceration, forced to navigate a correctional system that does not often take their particular needs into account. This trauma can put children at risk of long-term developmental consequences that can be lasting across generations.

Two children’s museums, among others, are developing unique partnerships to mitigate this negative impact. The Children’s Museum of Manhattan has an ongoing partnership with the NYC Department of Correction to reunite incarcerated parents at Rikers Island with their children for an afternoon at the Museum. Hands On Children’s Museum in Olympia, Washington, is partnering with the Washington Department of Corrections to redesign the children’s area of visiting rooms in three correctional facilities.

Anecdotal evidence of strengthened parent–child bonds and improved behavior of parents during incarceration show that early indications of both efforts are positive.

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To read the full article, please visit the Wiley Online Library, here.

For more information about Hands On Children’s Museum, please visit https://www.hocm.org/

For more information about the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, please visit https://cmom.org/