Learn about our partners in the Global Prison Nursery Network.
Global Prison Nursery Network Partners
The Aangan Trust
The Aangan Trust, India, has dedicated over 22 years to advocating and protecting the rights of vulnerable children, with a significant focus on those impacted by parental incarceration. Recognizing the profound impact incarceration has on children, Aangan partnered with the Maharashtra state Prison Department to support children with incarcerated parents. This initiative has led to the establishment of Nanhe Kadam creches in prisons across Pune, Mumbai, Nasik, and Nagpur for children of both incarcerated mothers and prison guards up to six years of age. Creche programming offers a range of structured interventions, including integrated art, play, and learning sessions, developmental assessments, and tailored curriculum. The Parent Pod initiative further supports incarcerated mothers and their children by providing emotional, social, and mental health support. Additionally, the initiative incorporates prison guard support networks to ensure a cohesive and supportive environment. Maharashtra’s adoption of this model has been so successful that it has led to legislation mandating creches in all state prisons.
Contact: Dr. Smita Dharmamer smita@aanganindia.org
Website: https://www.aanganindia.org/
Center for Studies on Justice and Society of the Institute of Sociology at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
The Center for Studies on Justice and Society of the Institute of Sociology (CJS) stands as a cornerstone of research and policy excellence in Latin America, affiliated with the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. With an unwavering commitment to social justice, the CJS team has dedicated over a decade to pioneering groundbreaking research on the areas of social inclusion, security and justice, within Chile and other countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. Their focus centers on investigating and working on policy regarding the justice system, the penitentiary system, excluded populations, and other areas. One of the topics they have developed focuses on the consequences of deprivation of liberty for women and their children, analyzing the impacts of the current justice and penitentiary system, studying the processes of social insertion and desistance, and advocating for alternative policies to deprivation of liberty.
Contact: Catalina Ignacia Rufs Orellana cirufs@uc.cl
Website: https://justiciaysociedad.uc.cl/
Children of Imprisoned Parents International
Children of Imprisoned Parents International (COIPI) advocates and provides services for children with incarcerated parents and envisions the optimal development of children with incarcerated parents to create a future free from psychosocial, economic, and behavioral adversities. Founded in 2014 by Hamed Farmand, COIPI is dedicated to comprehending the adverse effects of parental absence on children, mitigating these effects, and facilitating their adjustment. COIPI’s primary goals are to document violations, share best practices, and promote awareness and public education about the circumstances of mother-child dyads. The organization has conducted extensive research on the circumstances of mothers and their children inside Iranian prisons, producing comprehensive reports in both English and Farsi.
Contact: Hamed Farmand Farmand@coipi.org
Website: https://coipi.org/
Clean Start Africa
Clean Start Africa empowers women, girls, and children affected by Kenya’s criminal justice system, fostering dignity and hope to facilitate successful reintegration. Their initiatives include Circles of Healing—peer-led spaces within community counties that offer social and trauma support for currently and formerly incarcerated women. Their reentry department focuses on economic and livelihood support, offering capacity building programs and the Halfway Program to enhance economic resilience and provide a supportive environment for women transitioning from incarceration. Clean Start Africa is also committed to providing support for children accompanying their mothers to prison by training staff in responsive caregiving, offering parenting programs and establishing comprehensive childcare frameworks. They advocate for policy reforms to improve aftercare services for children leaving prison, ensuring holistic support throughout the reintegration process.
Contact: Teresia Nyaoro (Terry Bii) terrybii@cleanstartafrica.org
Website: https://cleanstartafrica.org/
Faraja Foundation
Faraja Foundation, a non-profit in Nairobi, Kenya, adopts a human rights-based approach to empower and support currently and formerly incarcerated individuals. Their advocacy includes specialized support for children who live with their mothers in Kenyan prisons and those left behind. In 2013, the Faraja Foundation pioneered the establishment of Kenya’s first prison nursery at Lang’ata Women’s Maximum-Security Prison and since then, has built five additional nursery facilities nationwide. They have influenced institutional policies, partnering with stakeholders to develop and implement Kenya’s Policy on Care of Children of Incarcerated Mothers; the development of a police guideline framework in partnership with Directorate of Children’s Services and a caregivers training manual for caregivers working with these children. Beyond their focus on children living in prison with their mothers, the Faraja Foundation implements diverse programs aimed at the rehabilitation and reintegration of individuals, particularly women, youth, and children, impacted by the criminal justice system.
Contact: info@farajafoundation.or.ke
Website: https://www.farajafoundation.or.ke/
India Vision Foundation
India Vision Foundation (IVF), headquartered in New Delhi, is dedicated to creating a crime-free society through reformation programs for incarcerated individuals and support for their children, aiming to prevent them from the cycles of intergenerational incarceration. Their child-centric initiatives date back to 1994, with the establishment of the first creche in Tihar Prison, Asia’s largest correctional facility. IVF now operates across 40 prisons in eight states and has impacted over one million beneficiaries. One of its flagship initiatives, the Early Childhood Care & Development (ECCD) Program, provides holistic support to children under six years of age living in prison with their mothers through day-care, education, nutritious meals, healthcare, and play-based development activities, ensuring their well-being and fostering a positive environment within prison settings.
Contact: Monica Dhawan monica.dhawan@indiavisionfoundation.org.in
Website: https://indiavisionfoundation.org/
International Coalition for Children with Incarcerated Parents
The International Coalition for Children with Incarcerated Parents (INCCIP) envisions a world where prioritizing the well-being of children affected by parental incarceration is a foundational principle globally and across all societal levels. INCCIP’s mission is to unite, collaborate with, and support a diverse range of like-minded organizations and individuals dedicated to advancing the well-being of these children, whether they reside in the community or alongside their caregivers in prison. Grounded in rights-based and trauma-informed principles, INCCIP’s work closely aligns with the recommendations of the UN Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty, advocating for the prevention of detention whenever possible.
In addition to the GPNN, INCCIP partners with the Canadian Coalition for Children with Incarcerated Parents (CCCIP), Children of Prisoners Europe (COPE), and Plataforma Regional por la Defensa de los Derechos de Niñas, Niños y Adolescentes con Referentes Adultos Privados de Libertad (Platforma NNAPEs). INCCIP is also a member of Child Rights Connect (CRC) and co-chairs CRC’s Working Group on Children with Incarcerated Parents. Through these collaborations, INCCIP advocates for comprehensive support systems, drives policy reform, and promotes societal awareness to safeguard the rights and well-being of children affected by parental incarceration globally.
Nancy Loucks, Chairperson of INCCIP, also serves as the Chief Executive of Families Outside, Scotland’s sole national charity dedicated to supporting children and families impacted by incarceration.
Contact: info@inccip.org
Website: https://inccip.org/
PrisonKids Kenya
PrisonKids Kenya is dedicated to creating safe, supportive environments and fostering physical, emotional, and cognitive development for children living in prisons with their mothers in Kenya. They have established a daycare facility at Nakuru Women’s Prison in addition to providing essential supplies for all those incarcerated in Nakuru, Kericho and Kitale Women’s prisons. In collaboration with the women’s ministry at Seventh Day Adventist Church, Egerton, PrisonKids conducts play and learn sessions at Nakuru and Kitalle Women prisons. These sessions provide socialization opportunities for children living in prison and age-appropriate care and upbringing. Working closely with social workers, PrisonKids facilitates ongoing communication and visits with children’s families of origin, ensuring continuity and preparing children for life after prison.
Contact: Rose Morara morararose3@gmail.com or info@prisonkids.org
Website: https://prisonkids.org/
Reinserta
Reinserta is a nonprofit organization based in Mexico dedicated to supporting children and youth exposed to violence. Through comprehensive models of psychosocial care, Reinserta focuses on protecting children, promoting their well-being, and supporting their mental health. The organization concentrates its efforts on several critical areas: supporting children living in prison with their caregivers, providing care to children who have survived severe violence, and aiding in the reintegration of juveniles involved in the criminal legal system. To ensure the safety, protection, and support for children living inside prisons with their mothers and those with incarcerated parents, Reinserta has instituted pregnancy care for incarcerated mothers, positive parenting methodologies, and the creation of violence-free spaces for children, including nurseries and visitation spaces. In over ten years of operation, Reinserta has made a substantial impact on the lives of over 2,000 children and adolescents affected by the juvenile justice system and parental incarceration.
Contact: Isabella Sanchez Di Egidio isabella@reinserta.org
Website: https://reinserta.org/
Terre des Hommes
Terre des Hommes (Tdh) Switzerland started its operations in Burundi in 1986 and is
committed to advancing children’s rights, focusing on maternal and child health and juvenile justice. In response to the inadequate conditions facing children living with their mothers in Burundi prisons, Tdh has established five nurseries across the 11 prisons nationwide. Their Early Childhood Development model within these nurseries prioritizes culturally and age-appropriate activities for children and psychosocial support for mothers. Additionally, Tdh engages with outside family members and the community to facilitate the successful reintegration of children as they transition from the nursery. Furthermore, Tdh collaborates with legal professionals to improve access to justice and advocate for alternative measures to incarceration.
Contact: Alice Quagliato alice.quagliato@tdh.org
Website: https://www.tdh.org/en
