There are many resources to help parents reconnect with their children both while they are incarcerated and after they have been released.
COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM (CCAP)
- Location: 311 Doric Ave, Cranston. (Main office)
- Phone: 401-467-9610
- Website: https://www.comcap.org/
Comprehensive Community Action Program: provides services to families including parent education classes, home-based support for parents through Parents as Teachers Program, and assistance for new parents. CAP agencies also offer a wide range of social services.
CHILD & FAMILY RI
- Providence office: 1268 Eddy Street, Providence. Phone: 401-781-3669
- Middletown office: 31 John Clarke Road, Middletown. Phone: 401-849-2300
- Website: https://childandfamilyri.com/
Child & Family RI offers parenting education, family counseling, and comprehensive support of families involved with DCYF.
CHILDREN’S FRIEND & SERVICE
- Main office: 153 Summer St, Providence with additional offices in Pawtucket and Central Falls
- Phone: 401-276-4300
- Website: https://www.cfsri.org/
Children’s Friend & Service provides support to reentering fathers pre- and post-release, a “Dedicated Dad’s” peer support group, early intervention services for families with infants and toddlers with physical or mental issues, parenting classes, and comprehensive support of families involved with DCYF.
FAMILY SERVICE OF RHODE ISLAND
- Main office: 55 Hope St, Providence
- Phone:401-519-2280
- Website: https://www.familyserviceri.org/
Family Service of RI Provides services for families involved with DCYF, families of children under 18 with behavior issues, and support of new parents with infants and toddlers under 3 years old through a family visitation program. They offer mental health and substance abuse counseling for adults, children and families at 55 Hope St, Providence. Call for more information or appointment.
PARENT SUPPORT NETWORK—RI
Main office: 535 Centerville Rd, Warwick.
Phone: 401-467-6855 Website: https://www.psnri.org/
Parent Support Network–RI is an organization of families supporting families with children and young adults who experience behavioral, emotional, and mental health challenges. They offer Peer Recovery Support Programs for adults, parenting education classes, and a parent peer support phone helpline at 467-6855.
RI PARENT INFORMATION NETWORK (RIPIN)
Phone: 401-270-0101 Contact the call center between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm Monday through Friday.
Website: https://ripin.org/
RIPIN assists with access to healthcare, health insurance and issues with Medicaid; supports families of child with disabilities to access special education services; and supports families of children and youth with special healthcare needs.
RISE
Phone: 401-421-2010 Website: http://www.riseonline.org/
RISE provides children whose mother and/or father have been or are currently incarcerated with scholarship opportunities for 8th graders and a mentoring program.
STAR KIDS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Phone: 401-848-4187 Email: kstark@starkidsprogram.org
Website: https://www.starkidsprogram.org
A scholarship program for kids from low-income families with a parent who is or has been incarcerated. Services include private school tuition, tutoring, mentoring and after school programs. Children enroll between kindergarten and 4th grade.
BOOKS BEYOND
Books Beyond is a program at the Rhode Island Department of Corrections in Cranston that helps strengthen the bond between inmates and their children through books. Volunteers help inmates choose new, age-appropriate books for their children from a large selection of children’s books. Under the guidance of the volunteer, the inmates read and record the books onto audiotape or CD. The volunteer then mails the books and the tapes or CDs home to the children to keep.
For more information, ask if this program is offered at your facility.
If you have children but you are not the custodial parent, you may be court ordered to pay child support. If you owe back child support, your driver’s license may be suspended, your wages may be garnished if you have a job, and you could be sent back to prison for failure to pay court ordered child support. However, you may be able to negotiate a monthly payment plan for back child support or even a temporary waiver if you are not currently working.
It’s very important to find out whether you do owe child support as it might affect your earned income, the status of your driver’s license, and even whether you remain free from incarceration.
The RI Office of Child Support Services in the Department of Human Services (DHS) can help you determine what you owe and provide other services related to child support and payment options. You can visit their website at www.cse.ri.gov to see what services they offer and set up an account to access your case information online at http://www.cse.ri.gov/caseinfo/index.php or you can call the Rhode Island Child Support Voice Response System a 24 hour automated information system about your child support case. Call 401-458-4400.
If you need help negotiating a monthly payment plan or waiver, you can also contact the RI Legal Services, an agency that provides free legal aid to low income individuals. The Providence office is at 56 Pine Street in Providence. You can call 401-274-2652 to set up an appointment.