34 U.S.C. § 60553: Addressing the needs of…

§60553 Addressing the Needs of Children of Incarcerated Parents

Title 34 › Subtitle VI — Other Crime Control and Law Enforcement Matters › CHAPTER 605 — RECIDIVISM PREVENTION › SUBCHAPTER II — ENHANCED DRUG TREATMENT AND MENTORING GRANT PROGRAMS › Part C — Administration of Justice Reforms › subpart 2 — reentry research › § 60553

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Attorney General must use available money to gather information and make guidance for state prisons and child welfare agencies. The guidance is to help protect children of parents in jail or prison, including kids in foster care and kinship care. It must cover rules and programs for keeping the parent-child bond during incarceration, helping parents improve themselves, and involving parents in planning for their children’s future and well-being. Within one year after making the guidance, the Attorney General must share it with states and other groups. Congress urges states and others to use the guidance to improve how corrections and child welfare agencies work together and to support relationships with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated parents.

Title 34, §60553

Navy, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Best practices

(1)In general

From amounts made available to carry out this section, the Attorney General may collect data and develop best practices of State corrections departments and child protection agencies relating to the communication and coordination between such State departments and agencies to ensure the safety and support of children of incarcerated parents (including those in foster care and kinship care), and the support of parent-child relationships between incarcerated (and formerly incarcerated) parents and their children, as appropriate to the health and well-being of the children.

(2)Contents

The best practices developed under paragraph (1) shall include information related to policies, procedures, and programs that may be used by States to address—

(A)maintenance of the parent-child bond during incarceration;

(B)parental self-improvement; and

(C)parental involvement in planning for the future and well-being of their children.

(b)Dissemination to States

Not later than 1 year after the development of best practices described in subsection (a), the Attorney General shall disseminate to States and other relevant entities such best practices.

(c)Sense of Congress

It is the sense of Congress that States and other relevant entities should use the best practices developed and disseminated in accordance with this section to evaluate and improve the communication and coordination between State corrections departments and child protection agencies to ensure the safety and support of children of incarcerated parents (including those in foster care and kinship care), and the support of parent-child relationships between incarcerated (and formerly incarcerated) parents and their children, as appropriate to the health and well-being of the children.

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was formerly classified to section 17553 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

§60553 Addressing the Needs of Children of Incarcerated Parents

Summary

Title 34, §60553

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Citations & Metadata