Daddy Loves You

Drawn from years of working with children who have incarcerated parents, and their best teachers, this picture book addresses a shortage of stories for young children and their caregivers (loved ones, teachers, guidance counsellors, foster families, first responders, librarians, physicians, etc.) by focusing on parental incarceration and young children's uncertainty around these adult issues in a developmentally appropriate, non-triggering way. The characters are engaging role models who encourage children to see themselves represented, feel acknowledged, and identify strategies for coping & building resiliency.

Teachers, and other caregivers, often find discussing children's questions and strong feelings surrounding parental incarceration difficult. This book is intended to help start healthy, healing conversations with children who have/have had an incarcerated family member (and their peers), in preschool through early elementary grades, with the goals of removing stigma, breaking down alienating barriers, and developing understanding and empathy in peers.

A Shared Reading Scaffold to guide conversations, and additional reliable resources, are included at the back of the book.