Program areas at Clicc
CLICC Inc. uses skilled mentoring and literacy activities to increase communication and deepen bonds between children and their incarcerated parents. Our goals are to help incarcerated parents read books and develop the communication and parenting skills they need to have a successful transition back to the community and reduce the risk of recidivism. At the same time, CLICC-trained mentors help children read books they have selected and provide caring support to mitigate feelings of shame, stigma, social isolation, toxic stress and trauma that these children can experience.CLICC continued to be an important resource for families impacted by incarceration in 2023. Meetings of CLICC parent mentoring groups began to resume in most prisons on the heels of the pandemic in the fall of 2022, but our mentors did not return to some prisons until January 2023. Parent participation in weekly CLICC groups quickly grew to more than 60 parents by the end of the year. Having gained experience and confidence during the pandemic, more children and families are asking to meet virtually with their mentors rather than in-person because it is a more convenient option for them. It will be interesting to see if this trend continues, and if we notice a difference in the experience of child mentoring groups that meet in person versus those who meet virtually. Over the summer, CLICC joined a team of agencies providing intensive support to incarcerated fathers with children through a grant awarded to the state Department of Children and Families by the federal government. The start of the grant had been significantly delayed by the pandemic, and CLICC helped facilitate parent sign up because we already had a presence in the participating prisons. The grant provides the 24/7 Dad curriculum, the CLICC literacy and mentoring model, and post-release support in hopes of decreasing the recidivism rate. The grant is due to end on June 30, 2024. In October, the long-awaited report on the three-year evaluation of the child experience with CLICC was released. It showed that children who participated in CLICC experienced fewer difficult feelings and behaviors during their year with CLICC. This was a great boon to CLICC and its mission. We continued our practice of providing basic-needs support to participating families during the December holidays.1) CLICC works simultaneously, but separately, with incarcerated parents in Connecticut and their children. In this way, reading books selected by the children becomes an activity parent and child can share, even though they are apart.2) Interest in mentoring children (ages 5-17) remained strong. CLICC trained approximately 25 volunteers in 2023, most of whom were students in criminal justice, social work or education from CLICCs 15 Connecticut college and university partners. By educating and raising awareness among these students about the challenges faced by children and families of the incarcerated, CLICC helps to train the next generation of leaders in their fields.3) CLICC-supporting books and materials are delivered to, and then distributed by, prisons across the state. 4) CLICC received grants for gift cards to grocery stores and general retailers for enrolled families across Connecticut.CLICC mitigates pressing challenges:1) Strained, often destructive relationships among families which include an incarcerated parent. Reinforcing the literacy skills of re-entering parents and their children will help to ease their transition, help the family move forward more cohesively, and better equip formerly incarcerated people to enter the workforce.2) Children of the incarcerated can experience a combination of shame, stigma, trauma and toxic shock that, if left unchecked, can thwart healthy development and pose health challenges that last a lifetime. Having an incarcerated parent is one of 10 Adverse Childhood Experiences, as classified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Caring adults, such as CLICC mentors, can help.The CLICC model calls for volunteer CLICC parent mentors to meet at the facilities to help parents read books and write letters to their children, while children do similar activities with their own mentors at community sites near their homes.The program also includes childrens caregivers, who tend to have complicated relationships with incarcerated parents, yet are so important to the future of the children and their families.CLICC matches pairs of mentors and children. CLICC mentors serve on average families composed of about 30 children per year, plus their parents and caregivers, for a total of 90 people per year. This does not count siblings or other family who may benefit indirectly from family support CLICC provides. Another 40 parents attend weekly CLICC group in prison but their children are not enrolled. Total: Minimum 130 people served per year.$142,074
Contra - Pro bono mentoring services, not included in program services in Form 990, Part I or Part VII, Revenues.
Pro bono mentoring estimated at 2,000 hours, valued at $15 / hr, $30,000.