The North Carolina Institute for Public Health, part of the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, has partnered with Our Children's Place, a private nonprofit agency, to host "What About the Children?" on Feb. 14 at the William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education in Chapel Hill.

 

The symposium will provide a collaborative educational experience for professionals, students and other community members concerned about the impact of a parent's incarceration upon children.

 

"Far too often, children whose parents are sentenced to prison are overlooked, vulnerable and without a voice," said Dorothy Cilenti, DrPH, chair of the board of directors for Our Children's Place, deputy director of the North Carolina Institute for Public Health, and clinical assistant professor of maternal and child health. "This symposium will be an opportunity for us to learn, share and plan as we ask that very question: What about the children?"

 

Dee Ann Newell, MA, founder and director of Arkansas Voices for the Children Left Behind and coordinator of the National Partnership for Children of Incarcerated Parents, will give the keynote address, which will discuss ways in which other states are responding to this issue. A panel discussion by representatives from the research, service, consumer, corrections and policy fields will follow.

 

Our Children's Place advocates for children of incarcerated parents and educates the community about the need for a statewide response to ensure the children's well-being. The organization's long-term goal is the establishment of a residential facility where young children may live with their mothers who are serving sentences for nonviolent offenses.

 

Registration for the Feb. 14 symposium is available online or by calling (919) 843-9262.

 

 
UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health contact: Ramona DuBose, director of communications, (919) 966-7467 or ramona_dubose@unc.edu.