Understanding the Role of Schools to Help Children of Incarcerated Parents Achieve Self-Actualization as Related to the Bill of Rights for Children of Incarcerated Parents (SFCIPP, 2005)

Abstract

This study was conducted to understand the role of schools in supporting children of incarcerated parents, and to understand this role as it relates to The Bill of Rights for Children of Incarcerated Parents (SFCIPP, 2005). The researcher used the Delphi methodology with New Hampshire principals and superintendents to learn what strategies and policies are in place, at the school and district level, to support children of incarcerated parents. This study also sought to understand the frameworks utilized to develop those strategies and policies. In particular, the study sought to understand New Hampshire principals and superintendents’ awareness and application of The Bill of Rights for Children of Incarcerated Parents (SFCIPP, 2005). Finally, this study sought to understand how, when aligned to Maslow’s (1943) hierarchy of needs it can inform future school and district strategies and policies. This study looked for consensus on the research questions as determined by statistical analysis of survey questions. The panel of 11 achieved consensus after the fourth questionnaire Findings showed that schools and districts work to support all students both in school and with outside resources. There were minimal policies identified related to children of incarcerated parents. The panel identified The Bill of Rights for Children of Incarcerated Parents (SFCIPP, 2005) as a good framework to inform how to support children of incarcerated parents. These findings have implications on how schools and districts could work with outside resources and law enforcement to support children of incarcerated parents.