Based on a statewide survey of residents of WV, many residents are concerned about the children of incarcerated mothers. For this reason, one team of students worked to increase awareness of a West Virginia initiative called Handle with Care, which trains first responders, educators and others in trauma-informed care for children.
To help raise awareness for this program, the students created videos that leveraged the expertise of area professionals to explain what life is like for the children of incarcerated parents. The videos also explained the significant impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) such as parental incarceration.
After all of this was done, the students informed educators and first responders on the importance of trauma-informed care. These individuals were added to a MailChimp database and emailed information on how they could get involved. Through coverage by WBOY, West Virginia residents were also informed of the students’ research and the importance of the Handle with Care campaign.