A support group for children with parents or other family members behind bars has grown dramatically in the Russell school district in the past two years, and organizers say it’s making a noticeable difference in the lives of those involved. You might even say they’re krushing it.
    K.R.U.S.H. stands for Kids Rising Up through Support and Healing. “That’s exactly what these kids are doing. They are learning how to deal with the emotions that come with having a parent incarcerated and rising above those circumstances,” explained Kristi Whittaker, a special education teacher at Russell-McDowell Intermediate School (RMIS) and a co-founder of K.R.U.S.H. along with Jalina Wheeler, the school’s guidance counselor.
    It works like this: bring kids together once a week in a non-threatening environment where they learn coping skills, share whatever is on their mind, and gain confidence in their future potential. Basically, give them a place to be themselves and share their feelings.
Wheeler knows first-hand the shame that comes with the stigma of an incarcerated parent. “I am a product of that environment. It was during high school and college, and I was ashamed to tell anyone. I worried what people would think,” she said. “I handled it by staying away – I chose not to be around it. I was older; I could do that. But kids don’t have that choice.”
    Many kids at RMIS were/are also suffering silently with the emotional trauma of their family situation, and Wheeler and Whittaker could see that. “A lot of these kids have disabilities, chronic absence problems and behavioral write-ups. Many were just sad all the time and didn’t want to be around other kids or teachers,” Wheeler said.
    Nationwide, nearly one in 14 schoolchildren has a parent currently or formerly incarcerated – that’s five million children in the U.S. About half of those kids are under the age of 10, according to a 2014 survey by Rutgers University. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that parental incarceration can lead to poor impulse control, concentration and judgment in children.
“It’s amazing the change we have seen in these kids. Soon after we began, we started seeing the kids sitting together at other times during the day. Attendance improved and behavioral problems went down,” Wheeler said. “It doesn’t take them long to realize we are on their side. There is no judging, and they feel safe.”
    The K.R.U.S.H. kids have likewise been a healing force for Wheeler and Whittaker, who also has had a close family member incarcerated. “We share our stories with them, which helps them see that they can get through this,” Wheeler said. “Sometimes, I say things to them and realize that I need to follow my own advice.”
    What started out as a group of five kids at RMIS at the beginning of the 2017-18 school year grew to 33 by the end. Last summer, Wheeler and Whittaker worked with Heather Aldrich, the district’s curriculum and assessment coordinator, to develop a content guide and lesson plans in line with national and state curriculum and health standards. “Our first year was so successful that we decided to do the work to get it into all of our schools.”
    K.R.U.S.H. consists of three units: essential knowledge (laws, rules, police relations); emotional support (dealing with anger, learning to communicate at home); and career awareness (setting goals, breaking the pattern of welfare). Each session, the kids are also invited to write down what’s troubling them, put it in the Worries & Wishes Jar, and get it out of their head.
    This year, the program expanded to the other schools in the Russell district. Ashland teachers recently received training and they hope to start the program next fall. In addition to Aldrich, Wheeler and Whittaker have received great support from Russell Superintendent Sean Horne and their fellow teachers. This spring, they hosted the second annual K.R.U.S.H breakfast, a time to recognize all those involved in the program and share stories. They were also recently chosen to give a presentation at the Kentucky Association of School Administrators (KASA) meeting in July. “We are holding on tight and enjoying the ride,” Whittaker said of all the interest.
    The stories they hear from the students and the changes they see in them are what make Wheeler and Whittaker anxious to expand the program, ideally throughout Kentucky in the next few years. When asked about any one story that shows how K.R.U.S.H. makes a difference, both women immediately thought of the same 11-year-old girl whose father has been in and out of jail most of her young life. Before getting involved with K.R.U.S.H., the girl was frequently mean to other children at school and often in trouble during class.
    “She got up at last year’s breakfast and told everyone how the program had changed her life. She said she learned that it’s okay to be me, and being me is okay,” Whittaker said. “Seeing one case like that makes this whole program worthwhile.”