An Isle of Wight resident will be speaking in London today (Tuesday) about her lived experience of being a teenager who received no support from the local authority after their parent was imprisoned.
The Lived Experience Conference, organised by the charity Children Heard and Seen, sits alongside of the first ‘Children with a Parent in Prison Day‘.
Children with a Parent in Prison Day
Tuesday 25th November 2025 is National ‘Children with a Parent in Prison Day’ – a chance to acknowledge and uplift the voices of children impacted by parental imprisonment.
Children Heard and Seen (1157879) are dedicated to helping children, young people and families affected by parental imprisonment.
Taking place in London on Tuesday 25th November 2025,the conference will bring together young people, families and professionals.
The Minister for Children and Families, Josh MacAlister MP, will deliver the opening remarks and the day will include panel discussions and workshops led by people with lived experience of parental imprisonment.
Island resident speaking out
One of those people is April Jeffers from the Isle of Wight. April’s Mum went to prison when she was just 15, at the same time she was about to sit her exams.
As a teenager she was not supported by children’s services. The news of her mother’s imprisonment was reported in the County Press, along with the family’s home address. April said,
“For us it was a really, really rough time.”
Now an adult, April has since become an advocate for children with an imprisoned parent to be supported. Ahead of the conference she said,
“There needs to be more in place for children so they don’t live throughout their adult lives carrying this trauma. People need to listen, there needs to be stuff in place, it shouldn’t be up to charities there should be statutory requirements for these children to be supported.
Why is this important?
When a parent goes to prison, their children confront profound emotional and practical challenges. These young people struggle with disrupted education, mental health problems and social stigma.
Many feel overlooked or misunderstood. Without adequate support, long-term consequences hinder their development and life chances.
April told OnTheWight,
“Nationally, there is no statutory mechanism to identify these children, and on the Island we have no services to support them (like most other counties).
“At HMP Isle of Wight Barnardos run the prison visitor centre, but for Island children that are most likely to have a parent sent to the Mainland, there is no support.”
You can find out more about Children Heard and Seen’s campaigns by visiting their website.
IWC response
OnTheWight has written to the Isle of Wight Council to ask whether any support services are provided for Island children whose parents are imprisoned on the Mainland. A council spokesperson replied,
‘‘Island children with a parent in prison can be supported through trained Family Hub workers or Prison Visiting child and family support workers on the Isle of Wight. The teams have recently completed training in the Child Impact Assessment framework created by the Prison Reform Trust, enabling children to have a voice and share their wishes with professionals such as schools, who can then provide appropriate support. This applies equally to children whose parent is imprisoned on the Mainland.
“Barnardo’s currently delivers Prison Visiting and Family Support services at HMP Isle of Wight, though the number of local families affected is relatively small. Importantly, most prisons across the country commission similar family support services – for example, Spurgeon’s at HMP Winchester and Barnardo’s at HMP Berwyn – ensuring that children and families can access help wherever their loved one is held.’’
Article edit
3.25pm 25th Nov 2025 – IWC comment added
