2002 Articles

Parental Incarceration: Recent Trends and Implications for Child Welfare

Johnson, Elizabeth I.; Waldfogel, Jane

Using national survey data, we analyze 11-year trends in parental incarceration. Results indicate that children with incarcerated parents have become an increasingly large share of the foster care population since the mid-1980s and a notable share of U.S. children living with grandparent caregivers. Findings underscore the need to develop and implement specific child welfare and criminal justice policies for serving these families.