Rockland Parent Child Center
Photos of activities at the center

Family Connections

Approximately 70% of women and more than 50% of men held in local jails, such as the Rockland County Correctional Facility, have minor children. Children of incarcerated parents have been found to be at tremendous risk of developing chemical dependencies, poor coping skills, low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and aggression and at great risk for later incarceration themselves. In an effort to break the cycle of intergenerational involvement with the criminal justice system, RPCC’s Family Connections project provides a continuum of family support services to parents incarcerated in the Rockland County Correctional Facility. The Family Connections project represents a vital lifeline to these “invisible” families within our community.

Family Connections Services

  • Parent Support Groups in the Rockland County Correctional Facility for mothers & fathers
  • Pre and post-release Case Management & Re-entry Services
  • Post-Release Mothers Support Group
  • Leigh Schuerholz Mentoring for Parents
  • Building Connections for Youth Mentoring

Tuesday Evenings - Mother’s Group
Wednesday Evenings - Father’s Group
Location: Rockland County Correctional Facility

While some parents disconnect from their children during incarceration out of fear and self-protection, most are clearly concerned about their children and seek to influence them and be involved in decisions made about them. These parents need assistance building and maintaining strong relationships with their family members while they are incarcerated. In order to allow incarcerated parents to build the confidence and competence they need for successful parenting from jail and particularly upon release, RPCC has provided a weekly parenting education and support group for mothers which meets weekly at the Rockland County Jail since 1991. In October 2001, RPCC began a similar weekly group for fathers at Rockland County Correctional Facility. The goal of the groups is to provide men and women incarcerated in the Rockland County Correctional Facility with support, education, and information so that they may understand and fulfill the needs of their children, even while separated by time and distance.

Mother’s Support Group post release

First Thursday of each month - 6:30pm

The transition from incarceration to life back in the community is challenging and can be a great strain on the family. There are requirements that parents must meet regarding drug treatment, employment, schooling, registering for benefits, as well as re-engaging with their families and children. In order to ease this transition to mothers we hold a monthly support group in which mothers get peer support from each other as well as from a professional facilitator. Strategies for coping with stress, gaining access to resources and re-engaging with their children including re-gaining custody are some of the topics addressed in the groups.

Leigh Schuerholz Mentor Project

Mentor Support Meetings-second Thursday of each month 6:30pm

Location: Rockland Parent-Child Center 137 First Ave, Nyack.

The Leigh Schuerholz Mentor Project provides emotional support to parents as they transition from incarceration to life back in the community and their families. All of our mentors are trained and provided with monthly support groups as well as individualized supervision as they are newly matched with parent mentees. Mentees are provided with guidance and support so that they can stay on track to meet their individual goals of employment, stable housing, mental health treatment and positive engagement with their children and families.

This program is named in honor of the late Ms. Leigh Schuerholz who was one of the first mother’s group facilitators in the jail back in 1991. She was a social worker and an active member of the Rockland Friends Meeting (Quakers) who granted us the funding to start this program four years ago.

Building Connections for Youth One-to-One Mentoring:

Family Connections is launching a one-to-one mentoring project for young people ages 12 - 18 years who have a parent who is or has been incarcerated.  Mentors spend one hour per week with their young person, engage in activities in the community together, give help with homework and build a relationship that can provide role-modeling from a responsible and caring adult.

 We are currently recruiting Mentors from the community who work in a variety of fields.  We ask mentors to attend once a month supervision and all are required to attend a 6 hour group training.  Fingerprinting and background checks are required.

 Please contact Selena Nixon 845-358-2702 ext 14 to submit and application.

Sponsors:

Financial support for Family Connections is provided by:

Corporate and Foundation:

  • Rockland County Youth Bureau
  • County of Rockland
  • Rockland County Department of Social Services
  • Episcopal Charities
  • Grace Episcopal Church

Individuals

  • Barbara and Jack Keil
  • John Gibeau
  • Martha Roth & Bill Irwin
  • Louis & Alice Coulombe
  • Gigi McPartland
  • Merill & Brian McGarity
  • Thia & Nick Longhi
  • Tony Veronico
  • Mary Jane & Noah Sexton
  • Anthony Porter
  • Jeanette Mathews & Evelyn Lombardi
  • Alix & David Calligeros
  • Karin Baere
  • Susan Gorman
  • Judith Gorman
  • Jane Graumann
  • Anapuma Amaran
  • Stephanie & Eric Baumes