The 8th Annual National Children of Incarcerated Parents Conference: From Separation to Solidarity: Building Community, Healing, and Learning through Struggle. 2026

Each spring, the ASU Center for Child Well-Being hosts the National Children of Incarcerated Parents Conference to further awareness of the impact of incarceration on children and families, and to increase community capacity to respond in helpful and healing ways. The conference addresses the general lack of awareness regarding the almost 3 million children who currently have a parent incarcerated, and the approximate 10 million who have experienced parental incarceration at some point during their childhood. This unique event provides an opportunity to listen, dialogue, learn, network, and collaborate. Presenters include individuals with lived experience of incarceration (parents, children, and caretakers), teachers, faith-based community members, researchers, advocates, child welfare and legal professionals, and others who interact with affected children and families. This three-day in-person gathering facilitates the exchange of best practices, research, policy, advocacy, and lived experience, bringing together professionals from areas such as advocacy, behavioral health, child welfare, community groups, criminal justice, education, faith-based organizations, foster care, governmental agencies, income support, libraries, nonprofit agencies, philanthropy, policy makers, and social workers.