Welcome our Director of Programming, Susan Padgett

At the end of May, Changed Choices welcomed Susan Padgett as our Director of Programming. Susan developed deep desire and motivation to serve her community through her parents-both community leaders in her hometown in Virginia. With over 25 years in Charlotte, she has served and led others to participate in organizations assisting people in challenging […]

Letters from clients

Changed Choices, I just wanted you to know, Every book you send and assignment you share gives me a chance to learn and grow. I’m so thankful, and you should know. Every letter/card you send my way gives me and many others a hope that we can overcome our struggles with every encouraging word. What […]

Walking into freedom

This morning, she walks out of the door for the last time. Over the last two years, she worked diligently to set herself up for success. What does successful re-entry look like? The next few days, weeks, and months will hold a lot of “firsts”: How can we create a welcoming community for residents navigating […]

Maternal Incarceration

Our clients often share that mail call can either be the best or worst part of your day. Maybe you get a letter or card, and feel a connection to your children and family. Prison communication is expensive: How do we keep the bonds of mothers and children strong, even through incarceration?

What is Kinship Care?

Kinship care for children of incarcerated parents is placement with a family member instead of foster care during a parent’s incarceration. More than 20% of children of incarcerated parents live with grandparents or other relatives. Nonparental caregivers face multiple challenges, such as enrolling children in school, and receiving state and federal services. On average, kinship […]

Incarcerated parents and the foster care system

May is Foster Care Awareness Month

Nearly 30,000 children, or approximately 6% of all children entering foster care, are placed due to parental incarceration. About 11% of women and 2% of men in prison report having children in foster care. May is Foster Care Awareness Month, and in North Carolina there are about 12,000 children are in the child welfare system. […]

WomenGiveCLT

Changed Choices had the opportunity to join over 350 women interested in investing in our community at WomenGiveCLT. A big thank you to ShareCharlotte, Junior League of Charlotte, and Women’s Impact Fund for hosting this amazing event. Based on research by the Women’s Philanthropy Institute, organizations dedicated to women and girls receive a very small […]

Why community is important

Families and social support networks play a critical role in a returning citizen’s transition from incarceration to the community, and research on family-inclusive re-entry models has been promising.  While families can provide for immediate needs such as housing, they can also create connections to employment and community services. What if a strong family support system […]