Osborne and Miss USA Rally Support for Children of Incarcerated Parents during See Us Support Us Month

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 1, 2021

CONTACT:

Tanya Krupat

Director

New York Initiative for Children of Incarcerated Parents

Osborne Association (646) 964-2160
tkrupat@osborneny.org

See Us, Support Us 2021 Launches

Rallying Support for Children with Incarcerated Parents

7th Annual Campaign Highlights Tools for Educators, with the Participation of Miss USA

New York, NY – See Us, Support Us (SUSU) month, sponsored and led by a collaboration of organizations that serve and advocate on behalf of millions of children with incarcerated parents in the U.S., launches today with a focus on tools for educators. SUSU 2021’s national advisory board and team of young people who have experienced parental incarceration join together with Miss USA Asya Branch, to support children’s educational success and wellbeing from early childhood through college.

Throughout October, SUSU will raise public awareness and provide resources and tools on the SUSU website for school staff. Planned events include an Art Contest for young people and the first of its kind, virtual, two-part Youth Listening Session (for educators and the general public; register here) that features the voices of young people and pioneering educators from across the country. On October 19, a panel of young people will share what helps and hinders their educational success and wellbeing. On October 27, young people and educators will highlight effective tips and strategies for implementing programs, policies and practices that support students in educational settings from early childhood through college.

“See Us, Support Us (SUSU) uniquely uplifts the voices and talents of children whose parents are incarcerated, while also highlighting how difficult this experience can be, and the policy and practice changes that are needed to support successful outcomes for children,” said Allison Hollihan, who coordinates SUSU within Osborne Association, “SUSU provides invaluable resources for all those who work with or care for children, with a special and timely focus this year on tools for educators in the time of COVID, underscoring the importance of both a trauma-informed and race equity lens. We’re honored to partner with young people, Miss USA, and national leaders in launching SUSU 2021.”

Miss USA Asya Branch said, “I joined See Us, Support Us because it celebrates the strength and talents of children with incarcerated parents while working to address the challenges we face, and to provide resources to adults in our lives so they are better equipped to support us. Creating spaces where children can safely disclose and talk about what they are going through is so important, and so is asking us what we need, asking us if we’re okay. This might sound simple and it doesn’t solve our problems, but it goes a long way towards helping us feel supported. I’m proud to be part of SUSU 2021.”

One in 28 children in the U.S. has an incarcerated parent on any given day—more than 105,000 children in New York State have a parent in jail or prison. The racial disparities inherent in the current criminal justice system extend to children: 1 in 9 African American children, 1 in 28 LatinX children, and 1 in 57 white children have a parent who is incarcerated. Maintaining family ties during incarceration decreases recidivism and supports family reunification and children’s well-being.

SUSU month collaborating organizations include, the National Resource Center for Children and Families of the Incarcerated, Bay Area Children of Incarcerated Parents Partnership, Connecticut Children with Incarcerated Parents Initiative, Amachi Pittsburgh, Arizona State University Center for Child Well-Being, Coastal Horizons, The Dr. Muhammad Experience, KidsMates, Next 100, POPS the Club, U.S. Dream Academy, and We Got Us Now.

About See Us, Support Us

Launched in 2015, See Us, Support Us (SUSU) is a unique national initiative coordinated by Osborne Association’s New York Initiative for Children of Incarcerated Parents that culminates during a month of action every October. While programs and advocacy on behalf of children whose parents are incarcerated have increased over the past decade, this experience remains largely hidden from public view and consideration. Children may experience isolation, fear, confusion, and other challenging emotions and are often judged for their parent’s choices. SUSU aims to counter this by raising awareness, spotlighting children’s strengths and talents, and providing resources and tools to promote positive outcomes. When supported, children of incarcerated parents thrive and succeed.

About the New York Initiative for Children of Incarcerated Parents

Osborne Association’s New York Initiative for Children of Incarcerated Parents (NYCIP) convenes more than 60 agencies and community and faith-based partners throughout the state to advance policies and practices that support children of incarcerated parents and their families. NYCIP raises awareness about this often-overlooked population of children and elevates their strong, wise, and resilient voices.

About Osborne Association

Osborne Association is the oldest organization in New York State providing direct services to justice-involved men and women, and services to their children and families in the community at sites in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Harlem, Newburgh, Buffalo, and in more than 20 city and state correctional facilities. To learn more, visit http://www.osborneny.org.

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Quotes from SUSU Partners

“When my father first went to prison, I was devastated. Not only did I lose one of the most important figures in my life, but also I was exposed to painful shame and stigma. Fast forward to the present. As a co-founder of KidsMates and as a member of the first-ever Youth SUSU Team, I have the unique privilege of sharing my voice on behalf of the millions of children who face the harsh realities of having a parent in prison. Today marks the beginning of 2021’s See Us, Support Us month. I’m so proud to help shine a light on the silent American epidemic of parental incarceration. “ – Joshua Martoma, Co-Founder of KidsMates

“On any given day in the U.S., 1 in 28 children experience parental incarceration. How many of these children are seen and supported in your school? See Us, Support Us (SUSU) 2021 provides an opportunity for educators to support, acknowledge, uplift and empower some of their most resilient students. It has been a privilege to continue to do God’s work all while working alongside youth, national partners and national leaders in the field.” – Shannon Ellis, Assistant Director, School Climate & Culture, The School District of Philadelphia

“Children with incarcerated parents have largely been an invisible population, despite a national awareness of mass incarceration. See Us, Support Us (SUSU) raises awareness of their unique experiences and advocates for supporting their wellness and success. In a time of a global pandemic, when children everywhere are facing educational setbacks and challenges, See Us, Support Us has a special focus on educational tools to care for children with incarcerated parents. The Walls to Bridges Book Project is proud to support SUSU 2021.” – Alyssa Tamboura, Founding Director of the Walls to Bridges Book Project

“As an educator who is also directly impacted by the toll of having a loved one incarcerated, I can tell you first-hand that having a supportive and safe space in the place where I spend the bulk of my day — school — is critical. Many of my students are experiencing parental incarceration and they shouldn’t have to share for the school to respond. As a system, we are well-aware of the mass incarceration rates in our State and in our nation. We are in a societal epidemic. Teachers, administrators and school support staff are the first lines of defense since we spend so much time in close contact with our students.. We all need to be trained in how to best meet the needs of children who have parents in prison. They should not have to bear the brunt of that weight alone. I implore all school programs to participate in See Us, Support Us 2021 and establish meaningful ways to help our students living with the harsh reality of parental incarceration not only survive, but thrive.” Vivett Dukes, Deputy Director of Organizing for the National Parents Union

“When people are incarcerated, many assume their former lives will simply vanish. But for the kids they leave behind, it doesn’t work that way: They are still their parents. Mass incarceration is a national issue whose impact is far-reaching, as evidenced by the 2.7 million American children who have a parent behind bars. SUSU is critical as it demands that the most vulnerable are visible and supported. The choice to focus on education is spot on. We must reimagine our school systems in a way that they’re free of zero-tolerance discipline policies and on-campus police. Schools should be affirming spaces where children of incarcerated parents can be supported and free from stigma. We need a system that dismantles the school-to-prison pipeline and introduces equity and opportunity.” – Sylvia A. Harvey, Journalist and Author of The Shadow System: Mass Incarceration and the American Family

“WE GOT US NOW is proud to participate in See Us, Support Us (SUSU) for the 4th year as a national partner and amplify the voices, talents and policies that work to ensure that directly impacted children and young adults thrive amidst the trauma, stigma and shame of losing a parent to incarceration. Every October, this month-long event spotlights the invaluable resources that have proven to support our often marginalized population. SUSU 2021 will ensure that the collective efforts of our community and allies are magnified and uplifted.”

– Ebony Underwood, Founder/CEO, WE GOT US NOW

For the last five years, See Us, Support Us (SUSU) has amplified the too-often ignored voices of children with incarcerated parents. Because POPS the Club supports youth inside their schools, with clubs led by educators, we know how vital it is that all educators See Us and Support Us. As POPS grad Kat puts it, “I joined POPS the Club when I was 14. My father was incarcerated, and I felt like my world was falling apart, but at POPS I was welcomed with handshakes and warm hugs from strangers. I listened to other students share their experiences of their incarcerated loved ones, and when I shared my story with my peers and POPS teachers, I felt relieved, finally able to express my emotions.” And POPS grad Mona adds, “POPS has been a great outlet for me while growing up! I was able to speak openly about my personal life with people who understood and did not judge me, and my perspective transformed from shame to embracing a new personal identity.” Seen. Supported. That is what we know matters, and we are honored to join our colleagues to uplift and amplify the voices of these wise and resilient youth! -- Amy Friedman, Founder and Executive Director, POPS The CLUB

“The criminal justice system disproportionately targets black and brown communities and by extension, affects their children, families and loved ones; when one person is incarcerated, the entire community suffers” said NY State Assembly Member Carmen De La Rosa. “When I envision a transformed criminal justice system, I envision the prioritization of rehabilitation, the preservation of familial ties, and the uncompromised dignity of all. We must stop treating populations that interact with the criminal justice system as second-class citizens and ensure that personal bias does not interfere with the health and well-being of incarcerated individuals or their families. I urge my colleagues to pass the Protect in-Person Visiting Bill (A4250) which codifies the right to visit in-person into NY State law, and the Elder Parole Bill (A.9040), which would allow individuals over the age of 55 to live out the rest of their lives alongside their children and loved ones. See Us, Support Us 2021 helps us to reimagine the criminal justice system moving away from criminalization and ensuring that we are focusing on justice: justice for those in prison, justice for their families, justice for their communities!”

“Navigating a complex world without the aid of a parent, especially during a pandemic, is no easy feat for a child; yet so many children in our city and state with a parent incarcerated face this challenge each day as they work for their own educational success and wellbeing,” said NY State Assemblyman David I. Weprin, Assembly Corrections Committee Chair. “It is important that we do all we can to listen to and highlight the voices and lives of children experiencing the effects of having a parent who’s incarcerated. I am glad to support See Us, Support Us 2021, and look forward to partnering with the multitude of individuals who are part of this movement to create change so we can make things better for these young people.”

“Recently, at a BAYCIPP Virtual Summit our keynote speaker Lateefah Simon reminded me why See Us, Support Us month is so critical and still necessary. She said, ‘Children of incarcerated parents are soldiers in a war that they did not start.’ I would say that they are not recognized for their brilliance, strength, resilience or diversity. We celebrate and honor these soldiers that keep fighting not just on their behalf but for others that will come after them.” – Bay Area Children of Incarcerated Parents Partnership

“Since 2015 NRCCFI has joined with advocates from around the country, guided by youth and adult leaders from NYCIP/Osborne to celebrate the ways in which children with incarcerated parents are all at once, like all children, like some children who share their experience and like no one but themselves. The annual See Us, Support Us initiative has been the most effective way of bringing the themes and the variations – the resilience and the pain more clearly into focus by centering the voices of the children and families impacted by incarceration in defining the issues and designing solutions. We urge EVERYONE to take part in SUSU 2021 this year, as we highlight the significant role of schools in this important work.” – Ann Adalist-Estrin, National Resource Center on Children and Families of the Incarcerated at Rutgers University Camden