Children of Prisoners Europe

19/10/2026

🇵🇹 Game with Mum & Dad returned to Coimbra prison for the second year in a row!

Read more about the event here 👉 https://www.gamewithmum-dad.org/it-was-a-very-special-moment-for-me-game-with-mum-dad-in-coimbra/

15/10/2026

🏆 COPE has won an award at the XIII International Film Festival “Prison Movie” 2026 in Olsztyn, Poland 🇵🇱!

This year, 35 productions from nine countries and three continents were in competition at the Festival, which brings together films that challenge stereotypes about prison and the people affected by it, and encourage conversations about rehabilitation, responsibility and opportunities for change. The event also welcomed representatives from the Polish Ministry of Justice and Norwegian penitentiary institutions.

🏅Representing COPE at the Festival was our member Ewelina Startek, with the short film “800,000 Voices”, which received the award in the Alternative View category.

Created by Families Outside in partnership with COPE and directed by Sarah Beresford OBE, “800,000 Voices” brings together the perspectives of children with a parent in prison. Recognising that their experiences are diverse, this short film reminds us of the importance of listening to children and making space for their stories.

We’re happy to see this important message recognised and reaching new audiences.

🎥 You can watch the short film here: https://childrenofprisoners.eu/800000-voices/

14/10/2026

A parent's imprisonment can have a significant impact on children’s lives. They still have school to go to, friendships to navigate and questions about their family to make sense of, in addition to the pains of separation from a primary caregiver. The way the adults and services around children respond can make a real difference to how they experience and navigate these challenges.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to supporting children with a parent in prison. But we can support 🤝 systems around children so professionals are equipped with the tools they need to listen, understand and respond to children's individual and evolving needs 💙.

COPE is developing an online resource for prison services to better protect and safeguard children's rights and well-being when they visit their parents in prison. Coming soon 🔜.

07/10/2026

From pilot games to a growing European initiative.

The Game with Mum & Dad project is reaching more children and parents in prison across Europe — and 2026 has seen some significant steps forward.

21 games. Around 300 and 200 parents in prison.
And more games still to come.

The growth is clear:
🇩🇪 Germany: 3 games in 2024 → 4 in 2025 → 9 in 2026
🇵🇹 Portugal: 1 game in 2025 → 5 in 2026
🇨🇿 Czechia: 1 game in 2024 → 3 in 2026

But the numbers only tell part of the story.

🎯This year, GWMD games were held for the first time in women’s prisons in Romania and Portugal.
⚽In Czechia and Poland, local football associations joined the initiative, including FC Praha and the Małopolska Football Association.
🤝At Vaslui Prison in Romania, the game was adapted so that a child with developmental delays and a visually impaired parent could take part alongside the other families.
🚂In Izeda, Portugal, the game brought together families who had gone months (or even years) without seeing each other face-to-face, showing how GWMD can help overcome one of the biggest barriers to family contact: geographical distance.

This is what growth looks like: more games, more partners, more inclusive events — and more opportunities for children and their imprisoned parents to spend quality and meaningful time together.

And we’re not finished yet. ⚽

Read more about the project here 👉 https://www.gamewithmum-dad.org

🙏 A big thank you to the organisations who made this year possible. CASPAE Probacja Hoppenbank e.V. Mezinárodní vězeňské společenství, z. s. Alternative Sociale

01/10/2026

📬 A new issue of COPE Newsletter is out!

There’s a lot happening across Europe. In this issue:

🇮🇪 Ireland: A pilot project bringing calls directly to women’s prison cells
🇸🇪 Sweden: New legislation strengthening support for children affected by parental imprisonment
📱 Media & stigma: How reporting on imprisonment can shape children’s experiences
🤝 Prison staff training: New tools and training to make prisons more child-friendly
⚽ Game with Mum & Dad: Three years of bringing families together through sport and play
📚 Plus new research, resources, recordings and upcoming events from across Europe.

Read the latest issue and explore what’s happening across the COPE network👇

Sign up for our newsletter The European Court of Human Rights adopted amendments to the Rules of Court with respect to Rules 36 and 44 on 7 September 2026, introducing an important procedural innovation for children whose interests arise in Strasbourg proceedings, including those of children with a....

23/09/2026

22/09/2026

For a child, visiting a parent in prison can be a difficult experience. Searches, surveillance, strict routines and limited physical contact can make it hard to feel at ease and spend time with their parents. Outside prison, children may also face shame, isolation and discrimination associated with the imprisonment.

🎨 The Challenge of Stigma is a new project led by COPE looking at how creative activities can make these experiences different.
The idea is simple: to give children and their parents opportunities to communicate, play and spend time together in ways that are not centred on prison routines. Children are free to choose what they wish to create, express at times-complex feelings in a non-verbal way and share an activity with their parents.

Three COPE members are putting this initiative into practice through different art-based projects:

🇪🇸 Spain — Weaving Connections
Children and parents will weave, play and make music together. The activities designed by Projecte Nius aim to create shared experiences and different ways for families to interact.

🇵🇱 Poland — Inside Out: Expressing the Unspoken
During a family visit, children and their fathers write letters, explore feelings through colours, sing together and draw side by side (check out the photos from the event here below!)

🇫🇷 France — Draw Me a Connection
Children take part in creative workshops where they paint or draw while listening to music. Their works will be part of an exhibition, with all participants receiving tickets to attend concerts at the Paris Philharmonie.

Why art? Because sometimes for both children and adults it can be easier to draw, play or create together than to find the right words for expressing their feelings. These activities can encourage positive interaction with their parents and create moments that feel different from the usual prison visit.

📸 The experiences from France, Spain and Poland will come together in a collective exhibition and a practical guide, sharing what worked, what children experienced and what we can learn from it.

🔗 Read more about the project here: https://childrenofprisoners.eu/the-cope-network-launches-a-new-art-based-project-inside-prisons/

17/09/2026

For children with a parent in prison, finding the right support can be difficult. For Roma families, additional barriers such as prejudice, mistrust and limited recognition of their specific needs can make this even harder.

🇨🇿 This project organised by COPE member Romodrom looks for ways to reach these families through sport and music.

On 15 August, the Czech NGO Romodrom and Roma community leader Zdeněk Kanci brought around 450 peoplefrom the local Roma community together for a day of music and play. Among them were 96 children, who took part in football slaloms ⚽, penalty shoot-outs, hula hooping, balloon races, dancing 💃 and singing 🎤.

Families also had the opportunity to meet Romodrom, find out about the support available to them and build relationships in a more family-friendly and welcoming setting. This is what this project is about: using activities that children enjoy as a way to reach families and strenghten the bonds between children and imprisoned parents.

🙏 This project is made possible by the generosity of donors. If you’d like to support this work and help us reach more children and families, you can donate here: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/music-and-play-roma-children-with-a-parent-in-prison/reports/

UEFA Foundation for Children

16/09/2026

Some pictures of the Game with Mum & Dad events held in Portugal 🇵🇹 over the summer.

🙏 Thank you CASPAE for making this possible.

05/08/2026

💡 From teacher to children’s rights advocate: what inspired Sarah Beresford’s work with children affected by parental imprisonment?

🎙️ Episode 10 of the "Voices Unlocked Podcast" features COPE member Sarah Beresford OBE, who shares how one family's experience inspired her work supporting children with a parent in prison.

From developing child-led conversation tools and Child Impact Assessments to discussing the importance of kindness and child-centred practice across justice systems, this episode is full of practical insights and powerful reflections for anyone interested in children's rights, family justice and prison reform.

You can listen to the episode here 👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fJALaFTFRI

In this episode of Voices Unlocked Pod, Lorna and Liv welcome Sarah...