Parental Incarceration: Recent Trends and Implications for Child Welfare

Abstract

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.