Children with incarcerated parents face a variety of challenges that continue to stunt their development in terms of a healthy lifestyle. With over five million children in the United States affected by parental incarceration, these children are at an increased risk of continuing to face poverty, emotional trauma, and challenges in their academics(Miller, 2006). Interestingly so, there continues to be a lack of federal funding towards social services initiatives that establish case management and structure. There is now, more than ever, a need to invest in social services that support such children in external circumstances, such as parental incarceration.

Additionally, a large factor in a child’s overall household is the income of a household. Oftentimes, parents in jail or prison give leeway for an additional financial burden to arise and so, accessibility to basic necessities are stricken from many families. This financial burden not only affects children’s immediate quality of life but also limits their future ambitions as their main priority is to be in a mentality of one thing: survival.

While financial burden may seem like the biggest challenge of them all, this often triggers a chain effect as the child is soon prone to emotional distress or forms of psychological trauma. The article, "The Effects of Parental Incarceration on Children.” highlights that children in such circumstances are at higher risk for developing mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, and behavioral issues (Miller, 2006). Without adequate support, these children already are attempting to cope with their parents being stripped from them, leading a child to feel incapable of thinking positively. 

Despite the clear need, social services for these children remain underfunded and difficult to access. Such programs are in more of a jeopardy in light of elected President Donald Trump’s moving to stop federal funding for all major assisting programs. 

Everyday, there is an urgency to invest in such a dire population that otherwise, is left untouched and unaccounted for. Such children, already faced with emotional disparity, are left to fend for themselves as a result of such a cut in the already limited federal funding. By providing more funding for targeted social programs, we can offer these children an actual future and alternative way out of a lifestyle that is otherwise, deemed as easier to stay in. This is what leads to generations of incarcerated youth to come.