Parent and Child Together (PACT) Program

Parent and Child Together (PACT) Program, a federally funded venture between the Illinois Department of Corrections, the Women's Treatment Center in Chicago and Companions Journeying Together, Inc. These entities have collaborated to offer mothers an opportunity to foster a relationship with their children during their imprisonment. The PACT Program offers families a chance to have visual contact through video conferencing technology. The goals of the program include the opportunity for children to read with their mothers or have their mothers read to them and the opportunity for children to tell their mothers about their progress at school and possibly receive some assistance with homework. The caregiver or guardian is able to support a relationship between a mother and her children and not have to make the lengthy and costly trip to the facility. An average of 50 visits are conducted each month.