Meet our ChIPs Mentoring & Circle of Support Program Director, Erika Linskey!

The Fay Honey Knopp Institute (part of the Safer Society Foundation) is proud to introduce Erika Linskey as the Program Director of the ChIPs Mentoring and Circles of Support program. Erika has worked with the Safer Society team since 2015 developing new programs to help children of incarcerated parents (ChIPs).

Erika earned her Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts from Penn State and her Master of Arts in Educational Psychology from the University of Colorado. She is a former teacher from Colorado and has maintained a life-long career in teaching and childhood advocacy. She serves on the Granville (Vermont) town School Board and volunteers at Warren Elementary School as a science workshop teacher for the Four Winds Nature Institute.

“I became interested in working as director for a mentoring program because it met my desire to help kids holistically,” Erika explains. “As a teacher I was restricted to working with children during classroom hours which was difficult because during my years as an elementary art teacher in Colorado I saw the need for children to have more adult guidance outside of the classroom. The ChIPs Mentoring & Circles of Support program helps kids be successful in school while providing a support network for them outside of school.”

We are very pleased to have Erika on our team!

 


Learn more about the programs and resources developed by the Fay Honey Knopp Institute to help mitigate the impact of mass incarceration on the millions of American children and families effected by parental incarceration.

Comments 2

  1. As a single dad to my adoptive daughter, whose mother passed away 5 years ago I am trying to lead her to not become like here biological dad’s family whom have all served time in jail. I want to do this while still allowing her to take trips to Alaska by herself to visit her other relatives. I also allow her to visit with her biological dad and his family while she is there, but she has come back telling me that I’m not her family and that she is going to be just like her bio-family and end up in jail.

    Do you have any advice?

    1. Thank you for your inquiry. Unfortunately we can’t advise you on your specific issue, other than to recommend that you get the help of a professional counselor, perhaps starting with your daughter’s school counselor.

      It is clear you want to do what is best for your daughter, and that is a very good position to start from.

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