Children’s Caregiving Arrangements Following Paternal Incarceration

The family stress model posits that external stressors such as paternal incarceration—an experience endured by more than one-third of children born in urban areas—can substantially shape caregiving arrangements, yet little is known about how this occurs. This paper uses in-depth interview data from the Jail and Family Life Study. We draw on 154 interviews with mothers and grandmothers of children enduring paternal incarceration to understand how caregiving arrangements for children shift in the aftermath of paternal incarceration and the implications of these changes for those navigating them. Our analysis reveals a continuum of caregiving patterns following paternal incarceration, ranging from concentrated caregiving , wherein one individual (typically the child’s biological mother) absorbs most caregiving responsibilities, to redistributed caregiving , wherein care is spread across multiple family members. We also find these caregiving arrangements have distinct consequences: concentrated caregiving tends to heighten caregiver distress, while redistributed caregiving often generates interpersonal conflict and strain within families. These caregiving dynamics offer insights to enhance our understanding of the specific challenges faced by families enduring paternal incarceration.