'Forgotten children' supported by prison families project
The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner's programme helps children navigate the challenges of parental imprisonment
Last updated 29th Jun 2026
More than 60 children affected by parental imprisonment have been supported by a Northamptonshire project designed to help young people cope with the impact of parental crime and avoid becoming trapped in a cycle of offending.
The Prison Intervention Project, a partnership between the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner's Early Intervention Team and Northamptonshire Police, provides specialist support to children whose parent has received a custodial sentence.
The service has worked on 32 cases involving more than 60 children and is currently supporting 37 young people across 17 families.
The initiative was developed after the Serious Violence Prevention Partnership examined the main reasons children in Northamptonshire experienced adverse childhood experiences.
By looking at the backgrounds of some of the county's most prolific offenders, officials identified patterns where earlier intervention may have improved outcomes.
"We could identify trends and gaps that actually, had we supported those offenders at certain pinch points in their life, maybe there could be different outcomes," said Augusta Ryan, senior early intervention and adverse childhood experiences (ACE) officer.
"There is research out there that tells us children are severely impacted by a parent that is incarcerated.
"This is about prevention work and breaking those intergenerational experiences where prison life becomes seen as the norm." She added.
"People don't know that their parent is in prison. It's not something they're encouraged to talk about and they're often those forgotten children with nowhere to turn to or speak to because they don't fall into certain services for support."
Forgotten children
Ryan said children can face a range of challenges following a parent's imprisonment, including stigma, isolation and difficulties at school. She said: "For a lot of children, their biggest challenge is the backlash in the community," she said.
"There's a lot of shame around it for them, a lot of disassociation from their community and friendship groups, and they feel quite isolated."
Many of the young people supported describe themselves as "invisible children"
Ryan said some children disengage from education as they struggle to process what has happened, while others experience behavioural difficulties.
"We know that children who are excluded from education come into the criminal justice system a lot quicker," she added.
Tailored support
Young people referred to the programme receive targeted support tailored to their individual circumstances. Practitioners work with children on understanding their emotions, identifying support networks and discussing the impact of a parent's arrest, court proceedings and prison sentence.
Support can also extend to prison visits and helping children prepare for a parent's eventual release.
The team also works with parents and carers who have been left to manage the consequences of a partner's imprisonment.
"We support the parent that's left behind because they've had to deal with either their partner or ex-partner going to prison," Ryan said.
"For some parents, they don't know how to tell a child that a parent's gone to prison and what for, so we'll work with them to support them."
Although the project was originally designed as a 16-week intervention, experience has shown many young people need on-going support.
"What we have recognised within the first year is the work goes beyond 16 weeks. Often these children require up to approximately six months at the moment." Ryan said.
"We may have to work with them more than once. If we're working with them at a time where the parent has just gone to prison, we may pick them back up again when the parent is ready for release."
As the project approaches its first anniversary, the team said those experiences were helping shape how support is delivered in future.
Feedback from families
Ryan said feedback from families had been overwhelmingly positive. One parent told the team she wished the service had existed when her partner was sent to prison several years earlier.
Another family reported significant improvements after receiving support. "We had a young boy who wasn't in education and was struggling socially and emotionally," Ryan said.
"He's now back in education, home life is settled and their relationship has improved.
The project has seen particularly strong engagement among children aged between 12 and 16, an age when many begin to better understand the circumstances surrounding a parent's imprisonment.
Ryan said some children also discover information about a parent's offending online, creating additional emotional challenges.
Expanding support
The project is now broadening its work with partners and has expanded referral routes beyond probation and youth justice services. Staff are also working with HMP Five Wells to raise awareness of the support available to families affected by imprisonment.
Future plans include opening referrals to additional agencies, including schools, to ensure more children can access support.
"It's about building and supporting emotional resilience, improving stability and reducing trauma," Ryan said.
"We want to help children achieve better outcomes and build positive futures."
To find out more visit northantspfcc.org.uk