Volunteers of America, Dakotas is one the only programs in the nation that works with mothers in prison, their children, and the children’s caregiver to break cycles of poverty and incarceration and to change the future for these families. Look Up and Hope is a national initiative started by Volunteers of America aimed at strengthening families who have been disrupted by the incarceration of mothers. Volunteers of America saw that mothers were the fastest-growing segment of the prison population and that there were very few programs tailored to their complex needs.

We provide counseling and case management for the families, as well as assistance in finding housing, education, food, employment, and transportation to enable families to become healthier, self-sufficient, productive members of their communities.