East Tennessee nonprofit

Helping children feel seen, heard, and valued.

The Voices Unheard Project supports children impacted by parental incarceration through journals, letters, care packages, and storytelling.

Support the Mission Learn Why It Matters

A child's hands holding an open journal beside colored pencils

A journal becomes a safe place.

Our Mission

Every child deserves to know their voice matters.

When a parent is incarcerated, a child often carries a quiet burden: confusion, shame, grief, isolation, and questions they may not know how to ask. Voices Unheard exists to create small but meaningful reminders that these children are not forgotten.

Our Story

Katy

Founder

A letter from our founder

Dear friend, Voices Unheard began with a simple question: what would it mean to a child to know that someone, somewhere, was thinking of them?

Children with an incarcerated parent carry a lot in silence. They go to school, sit in class, and smile for photos while holding questions they may never say out loud. They deserve more than silence.

Small acts, done with care, can remind a child that their voice matters.

So we started small. A journal for thoughts that feel too big. A letter that says you are not alone. A box packed with care. And a safe way to share a story, when and if a child is ready.

With gratitude,

Why It Matters

Behind every statistic is a child with a story.

More than

U.S. children have had a parent incarcerated at some point in their lives.

Source: Annie E. Casey Foundation, A Shared Sentence, 2016

About

~0.0M

minor children had a parent in state or federal prison in 2016.

Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Parents in Prison and Their Minor Children, 2021

of state prisoners are parents of a minor child.

Source: BJS, 2016 Survey of Prison Inmates (pub. 2021)

Tennessee

of Tennessee children have experienced parental incarceration, among the highest rates in the U.S.

Source: Annie E. Casey Foundation, KIDS COUNT, 2021

One classroom

In a typical classroom of 28, about 2 children nationally have lived through a parent’s incarceration.

Illustrative, rounded. Based on 7% of U.S. children (Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2016) and 13% of Tennessee children (Annie E. Casey Foundation KIDS COUNT, 2021) who have ever experienced parental incarceration.

Out of every 100 children

7%of U.S. children have experienced a parent’s incarceration.

Source: Annie E. Casey Foundation, A Shared Sentence, 2016. Lifetime experience of parental incarceration, jail or prison.

The ripple effects

Incarceration reaches far past a prison wall. It follows a child to school, home, and bed at night.

Behind every statistic is a child who deserves compassion, dignity, and support.

What We Do

Four small acts. Lasting encouragement.

Journals

A private place for thoughts, drawings, and feelings too big to say out loud.

Letters

Words of encouragement from caring adults, delivered safely and read before they arrive.

Care Packages

A box packed with comfort, creativity, and a handwritten reminder that someone cares.

Storytelling

A safe, anonymous way for young voices to be heard, only with a guardian’s consent.

Small acts. Lasting encouragement.

01A journal to hold what is hard to say.
02A letter to remind them they are not alone.
03A care package that says someone thought of them.
04A story, shared safely, so others feel less alone.

Get Involved

Become part of the story.

Donate Supplies

Check what you can bring and we will follow up with drop-off details.

Blank journalsMost neededColored pencils and gel pensMost neededAge-appropriate booksStuffed animals or comfort itemsBlank cards and envelopesMost neededStickers and art supplies

Partner With Us

Schools, counselors, churches, and community groups help us reach children safely.

Share the Mission

One share can reach the teacher, counselor, or neighbor who knows a child who needs this.

The Voices Unheard Project helps children impacted by parental incarceration feel seen, heard, and valued through journals, letters, care packages, and storytelling. Learn more:

Contact

We would love to hear from you.

Questions, ideas, or a way to help? Send a note or email us directly.

hello@voicesunheard.org

Please do not share a child’s name or personal story here. If you need to share something sensitive, write to us and we will reply privately.

Occasional updates. No spam.