From Inspiration to Impact: Help UnLocked Attend the National Children of Incarcerated Parents Conference
Each spring, the National Children of Incarcerated Parents Conference, hosted by the ASU Center for Child Well-Being, brings together advocates, researchers, educators, policymakers, and people with lived experience to confront the realities faced by children impacted by parental incarceration.
The conference was created to address a critical gap in awareness surrounding the nearly 3 million children currently experiencing parental incarceration and the approximately 10 million who have experienced it at some point in their lives. Beyond raising awareness, the conference centers healing, solidarity, and community-driven solutions.
This year’s theme, “From Separation to Solidarity: Building Community, Healing, and Learning through Struggle,” aligns deeply with the mission of UnLocked. We believe that no one should have to navigate that experience without support. This April, we have the opportunity to take our mission to a national stage, and we need your help to get there.
Where It All Started
Two years ago, UnLocked’s founder Anna attended the National Children of Incarcerated Parents Conference as a participant. Hearing directly from children, families, caretakers, and community organizations made one thing clear: college campuses needed dedicated spaces where students with incarcerated parents could feel seen, supported, and understood.
Those conversations, and connections with organizations like the Osborne Association and Dream Academy, sparked what would become UnLocked. Since then, the organization has grown into a community rooted in peer support, advocacy, research, and shared experience.
In two years, UnLocked has:
- Won grant funding to support programming
- Hosted campus-wide awareness panels
- Distributed care packages to children and youth impacted by incarceration
- Implemented Dream Academy’s peer support group curriculum
- Built a growing network of students connected through lived experience
Returning as Presenters
This year, UnLocked was honored to have our presentation accepted at the conference. We are not just attending; we are being invited to share our story and our impact alongside advocates, researchers, educators, and policymakers from across the country.
To make this possible, we hope to send four UnLocked members:
- Anna, President
- Sara, Vice President
- Seven, Outreach Chair
- Ava, Research Chair
Why We Need Your Support
Attending in person means our team can present our work, build lasting partnerships with national organizations, exchange ideas, and bring back knowledge that directly strengthens support systems for COIP at the University of Maryland and beyond. However, traveling to Arizona presents a real financial barrier.
We are raising $1,300 to cover air travel, lodging, and daily expenses. Thanks to our community’s generosity, we have already raised $810. We are $490 away from our goal.
Every contribution, no matter the size, helps ensure that student-led advocacy for children of incarcerated parents keeps growing, stays informed, and remains connected to the broader national movement working toward change.
Help Us Get There
This conference is where UnLocked began. Returning as presenters is a full-circle moment, and one we do not want to miss.
If you believe that children of incarcerated parents deserve visibility, community, and care, we invite you to support this journey.
Thank you for believing in our mission and for helping us continue building a community rooted in solidarity, healing, and shared purpose.
