Frequently asked questions

IS THE PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP BENEFICIAL TO CHILDREN WITH INCARCERATED PARENTS?

During a parent’s incarceration, the most important factors for a child’s well-being are the nature and quality of their living arrangement and the opportunity to maintain contact with the absent parent. A consistent communication schedule via letters, phone calls, video and in person visits to child friendly visiting rooms is crucial to maintaining a healthy parent-child bond.  [1]

IS VISITING A PARENT IN PRISON TRAUMATIC FOR CHILDREN?

Communication and visits between an incarcerated parent and child typically reduce a child’s fears about their parent’s welfare and concerns about their parent’s feelings for them.

Optimal family visits occur when the visit takes place in a child friendly setting with developmentally appropriate activity options. Allowing physical contact between parents and children, and as much privacy as possible, is beneficial.

It is important to provide incarcerated parents and their children with emotional preparation before visits and debriefing opportunities after visits. The highest quality visiting programs have been found amongst broader family strengthening programs, for example, the Parenting Inside Out program. [2] [3]

WHY ARE PROGRAMS LIKE CAMP REUNITE IMPORTANT?

At Camp Reunite, our parent-child visits are unlike most other family visits in correctional facilities. We offer opportunities for children and their parent to nurture their bond through a semi-structured schedule. We empower families with a multitude of activity choices and less restrictions on movement. Our counselors are present to facilitate parent-child engagement, but recognize the importance of stepping back and respecting each family’s privacy. Although correctional facilities are increasingly recognizing the importance of family visits, many barriers remain. The most commonly seen challenges to standard family visits are:

  • Parent is incarcerated at a facility that is far from where the child lives.

  • Visitation hours are often not conducive to visitors’ schedules (i.e., after school for children).

  • Parent has limited phone usage to make calls home. This is increasingly challenging if an incarcerated parent has children living in multiple different homes.

  • Strict rules dictate who is eligible to visit, the number of visitors per session, and what behavior is allowed during the visit

  • Parent and child lack any privacy or true “one-on-one” time, due to adult caregiver and correctional staff presence.

  • Many correctional facilities do not allow family visits via video conferencing.

  • Many visiting rooms have limited child-friendly activity options.

  • Child can have anxiety during their first visit or when they visit infrequently or irregularly.

  • Some caregivers have concerns about allowing children to visit their incarcerated parent.

At Camp Reunite, we partner with families and correctional staff to reduce or eliminate each of these barriers as best as possible. [2]

IS CAMP REUNITE FUNDED BY TAXPAYER DOLLARS?

No. Camp Reunite is not a program of the Wisconsin Department of Corrections or any other local, state or federal government entity. Camp Reunite is operated by Hometown Heroes, Inc. a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Funding comes from corporate and foundation grants, fundraising events, individual donors, in-kind donations, and volunteers.

WHAT IS THE COST OF THE PROGRAM?

Camp Reunite is provided at no-cost to the families we serve, thanks to the generosity of hundreds of individual donors, corporate and foundation, grants, gifts and in-kind donations. We also rely on the service of a passionate set of  trained volunteers to host affordable camp sessions. 

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN EACH CHILD’S EXPERIENCE AT CAMP REUNITE?

The program includes lodging, meals, and all activities for our 5-night, 6-day camp sessions. Transportation to and from camp is also provided as needed.

ARE THERE ANY EXCLUSIONS?

Due to staffing and time constraints, we are not always able to offer pick up and drop off directly from your home. This means that in some cases, we will ask that you transport your child to a nearby pick-up location. We are happy to work with you during the registration process to create a transportation plan that works best for our budget and your ability to travel.

WHERE IS CAMP LOCATED?

Our program is run at an American Camping Association (ACA) accredited, year-round residential camp facility, located in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin. Most of our campers come from across the state of Wisconsin.

WHERE DOES MY CHILD STAY AT CAMP AND HOW ARE THEY SUPERVISED?

Campers stay in cabin groups that are formed based on their age group and gender. Our cabins are heated, air conditioned, and have private showers and toilets inside the cabin building. Counselors of the same gender as the cabin group sleep in the cabins. Your child will be supervised by our trained staff at all times.

DO YOU ALLOW PHONES OR TECHNOLOGY AT CAMP?

Camp Reunite is a “tech-free” camp, meaning we do not allow cell phones, computers, tablets, gaming devices, or other electronics. This is because at camp we want everyone to be present in the moment and focus on building connections within the camp community. Many children do bring phones or other devices to camp for use while travelling to and from. We simply store and charge electronics for each child and return them on the morning of the last day.

IF YOU DON’T ALLOW MY CHILD TO USE THEIR PHONE, HOW DO I KNOW THEY ARE DOING OK DURING THE WEEK OF CAMP?

For many campers, Camp Reunite is the first time being far away from home without a guardian. We understand that you may want to check in on your child throughout the week.. In the event of an emergency, you are provided information of how to contact us and reach your child. Similarly, we have a very open style of immediate communication with you if any issues or concerns arise throughout the week.