Where do children live during parental incarceration?

When a father is incarcerated

• Most children live with their mothers (80-90%)
• Some children live with another relative, such as a grandparent (15%)
• A very small minority are in foster care (2%)

When a mother is incarcerated

• About half of children live with their grandparents
• Some children live with other relatives (e.g., aunt, older sibling, cousin) (20%)
• Some children live with their fathers (20%)
• Some children are placed in foster care (11%), although this typically occurs prior to the parent’s incarceration, not because of the parent’s incarceration
  • This is 5 times more likely when a mother is incarcerated than when a father is incarcerated