The Literacy Link brings literacy and learning opportunities to young children with parents or caregivers in local correctional systems. We work with jails, criminal justice organizations and libraries to foster healthy family relationships through positive, literacy-focused interactions. We promote language and literacy skills in children by creating literacy-rich experiences in jail and other settings that extend into the home.
“The Literacy Link project is an example of how the University of Wisconsin is fulfilling its mission to develop human resources beyond the boundaries of its campuses while improving the human condition.”
– Ray Cross, Former University of Wisconsin System President
Strategies
Through five targeted strategies, The Literacy Link provides research-based interventions that address the needs of parents, caregivers and their children.
Making Reading Memories
In this program, parents in jail are video recorded reading a book for their young child. The books and recordings are sent to the child. Before the recording, parents attend the Read and Connect Workshop that highlights the importance of reading aloud for healthy child development and parent-child bonding. Parents learn how to read in an engaging, interactive style for a fun learning experience.
TeleStory
This free video visiting program offers safe, child-friendly spaces at local libraries for children to connect with a parent in jail. During their time together, the child and their parent have access to matching sets of books, toys and games. Before the visit, parents attend a workshop on visiting and reading with their child, helping to make their time together full of positive, child-centered interactions.
Family Friendly Spaces
These spaces transform waiting and visiting areas in jails into comfortable, welcoming environments for children and their families, during what can be an otherwise stressful time. Child-focused additions include family-friendly learning stations, educational toys and decals. At each visit, children can take home a free, high-quality, age-appropriate book. In one county, a token-operated vending machine distributes free books to children visiting their parents in jail.
Parenting Inside Out – Literacy Link Edition
This 10-session program equips justice-involved parents with tools to strengthen family connections, build resilience positive outcomes during and after incarceration. Adapted from the evidence-based Parenting Inside Out program, this version includes family literacy and a caregiver complement.
Family Support
The Literacy Link provides avenues of support for children with incarcerated parents and their caregivers. We connect with families to share community-based resources, caregiver workshops, and print materials related to the challenges associated with justice-involvement.
Safe, stable, nurturing relationships help buffer the damaging impact of stress on children.
Early literacy skills are an important way to build a foundation of success for children.
Consistent contact with parents can reduce the effects of trauma for children.
Child-friendly visiting spaces and experiences help reduce stress and anxiety for children, while increasing the quantity and quality of parent-child visits.
Parents increase their understanding and skills to interact positively with their children.
Impact
The Literacy Link targets the following key outcomes. Various tools are used to measure our impact, including observations of parent-child visitations, interviews with community partners, and surveys from incarcerated and justice-involved parents and their children’s caregivers.
Parenting Knowledge and Skills
Strategies build parenting knowledge and emphasize the importance of responsive “serve and return” interactions and age-appropriate, literacy-based play. Goals include increasing parents’ confidence and sense of empowerment to engage with their children.
Children’s Exposure to Literacy-Rich Environments
Children are exposed to literacy-rich spaces within justice-settings that promote high-quality parent-child interaction. Children are provided books and other literacy materials to foster their emergent literacy at home.
Policy, Systems and Environmental Change
Extension educators work directly with local correctional settings to improve visitation spaces and adapt current visitation and operating policies to promote and maintain the parent-child connection.
Donate
Your support connects justice-involved families through literacy experiences!
“She seems much happier and talks about her mom more often than before the visits. Her mom is more a part of her life now. They have a connection again.”
– Caregiver of a Child participating in TeleStory
“My 6-year-old daughter and I start each visit by choosing and reading a book together. Before visits were awkward and hard to start, and now it is a pleasant, relaxing way to get the visit going.”
– Parent using a Family Friendly Space for Visits
“I was having a difficult time with my incarceration until this program. Seeing my daughter and bonding with her, seeing her okay helps make me okay. I’ve gotten into less trouble during this incarceration since starting this program.”
– Parent participating in TeleStory
“My kids got the books and watched the videos yesterday. The boys loved them and were interacting with the video. I was told they were trying to read along and watch me. I sincerely appreciate the MRM program. I’ve never done anything like this before, but it really and truly is an amazing experience not only for the kids but for me as well.”
– Parent Participating in Making Reading Memories
“What excites me the most is giving tokens to the kids. I love seeing the kid’s excitement and the parents being so appreciative of the book their child receives.”
– Secretary Staff, Dane County Jail
“This program give the children a way to connect with their incarcerated loved one and feel like they are being thought of and not forgotten.”
– Caregiver of a Child participating in Making Reading Memories
An EEO/AA employer, University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming, including Title VI, Title IX, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act requirements.
