Camp Reunite x KidsMates

These parents have so much life ahead of them, and so do their children. The goal is to create a future where incarceration doesn’t hold them or their families back, and it isn’t something they have to feel shame about. - Kenzie Gonzalez, 2024

Today, KidsMates is thrilled to welcome Kenzie Gonzalez, senior researcher and co-founder of Camp Reunite. Since joining the team in 2017, Kenzie has been instrumental in expanding research efforts to showcase the program’s impact and serves as the main point of contact for parents and families.

Camp Reunite is a unique program that provides children of incarcerated parents with a supportive summer camp experience. Born from the vision of its co-founders, Camp Reunite serves as a refuge for children facing the challenges of parental incarceration, creating a safe community where they can share experiences, build resilience, and foster meaningful connections. Camp Reunite goes beyond traditional summer camp activities, offering resources like mentorship and essential supplies to meet the daily needs of these kids and their families. Today, Kenzie shares the journey of Camp Reunite, its impacts, and her insights on supporting children affected by incarceration.

Ava: Good afternoon, Kenzie! Thank you for joining us. I’m excited to hear about your work. To begin, can you tell us a bit about your personal story and what led you to work with children of incarcerated parents?

Kenzie: Of course! While I don’t have any personal experience with the criminal justice system, I’ve been working in this field for almost seven years now. Initially, our organization was solely focused on running a program called Camp Hometown Heroes, which is a summer camp for kids who lost a parent due to military service. That program has been going on for almost 12 years, and it acts as a sister program to what eventually became Camp Reunite. 

Through Camp Hometown Heroes, I learned to serve kids through what I like to call “trauma-informed summer programs.” Hometown Heroes is not just a recreational summer camp; it’s about bringing kids together with a shared lived experience and addressing their grief - in this case, the loss of a parent. 

After acquiring campground space for Camp Hometown Heroes, we saw an opportunity to expand our reach to serve more kids. We quickly realized there was a significant need among children of incarcerated parents, particularly in Wisconsin, where similar programs were lacking. This realization led to the creation of Camp Reunite.

Ava: That’s such a powerful story—thank you for sharing. It’s amazing how Camp Reunite grew from your experiences at Camp Hometown Heroes. Can you tell us more about how the idea for Camp Reunite specifically came to life?

Kenzie: A big part of the idea for Camp Reunite was inspired by one of our co-founders, Neil Willenson. He had a foster child whose mother was incarcerated, and they’d often take five-to-six-hour long drives to visit her. Through those visits, Neil noticed how isolating it was for kids growing up with a parent in prison. And it’s true; it's not necessarily something you could always feel comfortable talking about to your friends or adults in your life if they don't understand it.

We wanted to reduce the stigma and shame these kids often carried and instead create a space where they could feel supported and understood. Neil had always held onto the idea of creating a camp just for kids going through similar experiences. He thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be wonderful if these kids had a place to feel connected and accepted?’ With his background running camps for children of military families, he thought the model could help kids of incarcerated parents feel a sense of belonging and community. That was the reason we got started. 

In 2018, we held our first session of Camp Reunite, and we’ve been committed to it ever since. COVID brought its share of challenges, and we had to pause in-person programming for a time. But we’ve been back these past few years, and we’re thrilled to continue growing, building a welcoming community for these kids and their families.

Ava: That’s truly inspiring. Neil’s vision, combined with your team’s experience, sounds like the perfect foundation for this program. It’s wonderful to hear that Camp Reunite has been able to grow and adapt despite challenges like COVID. How did you personally get involved with Camp Reunite?

Kenzie: I was already working with Hometown Heroes, our parent nonprofit, before we launched Camp Reunite. A group of five of us, including Neil, decided to co-found the program. We pitched our idea to the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, sharing the Hometown Heroes model and explaining how we could adapt it to serve children of incarcerated parents. 

Thankfully, they agreed to give it a try, and we held our first session at Taycheedah Women’s Prison in 2018. Since then, we’ve expanded to other locations, including a men’s prison, and now offer separate sessions for children with incarcerated mothers and fathers. With continued funding and resources, we’re eager to reach more families at additional sites.

Ava: It’s incredible to see how much impact you’ve made since that first camp. And it sounds like each new addition to the program has been thoughtfully designed to meet the kids’ needs. Could you share what you believe has been the most impactful thing Camp Reunite has done for these children and families in the past year?

Kenzie: Over the past year, we’ve focused on one main question: How can we expand our program offerings for 2024 and beyond? One way we’re answering this is by adding practical support alongside our camps. In addition to bringing kids to camp to connect with their parents and each other, we now provide school supplies, hygiene items, clothing, and menstruation products - especially helpful for the start of the school year. Many of the kids we serve live below the federal poverty level, so these tangible items meet real needs and help them feel prepared.

We’re also exploring ways to stay connected with campers beyond the usual summer and winter sessions. One idea we’re excited about is a mentorship program where dedicated camp counselors can serve as mentors for our campers, particularly teens, ” year-round. This would offer teens guidance with life skills, from college applications and job searches to interviews and even getting a driver’s license. Many of our campers face dynamic home lives, often moving between different caregivers, so having a consistent adult mentor could be incredibly valuable.

While the mentorship program is still in development, the school supply and hygiene offerings are already in place for 2024 and 2025, and we hope to make our connection with campers more frequent with year-round meetups.

Ava: That sounds amazing. You guys have definitely done a lot over the past year? That brings me to my next question - do you have an age range for this program?

Kenzie: Currently, we're focusing on kids between 2nd grade through high school, with a particular emphasis on elementary-aged children. We hope to expand our programs in the near future to include resources for teens, such as guidance on college applications and moving to adulthood. Right now, though, our primary focus remains on elementary-age kids. The reason our camp programs start at age 7 is because that is the minimum age we’re licensed to work with for overnight stays. But yes, it would be fantastic to have programs for even younger children, and we’re considering ways to eventually offer activities that cater to those younger than 7. However, for now, we’re focused on that 7-to-12 range but are always looking to grow and adapt to meet the needs of all ages.

Ava: That makes a lot of sense, and it’s great to know you’re thinking about ways to reach even younger kids in the future. What do you think is something people often misunderstand about Camp Reunite and the work you’re doing?

Kenzie: I think the most important thing to understand is that everyone involved in a program like Camp Reunite—whether staff, families, or incarcerated parents—are all human beings with unique stories and backgrounds. One of Camp Reunite’s main goals is to humanize the prison experience and foster a sense of connection. To do this, we partner closely with prisons to make the program successful.

When we hold camp, we dedicate two full days to bringing the camp experience into the prison, going beyond the typical family visit where people sit across a table from each other. We bring summer camp to the prison itself. This approach requires the prison’s flexibility and the willingness of correctional officers to shift from the usual routines, which they’ve done with incredible openness. It’s a beautiful experience to see how these interactions help kids feel less intimidated by the prison environment, as they start to see staff as people who support their parent’s rehabilitation.

This also helps correctional officers, wardens, and prison social workers understand the complex backgrounds of incarcerated parents and the unique challenges that their children face. It’s a step toward shifting perceptions within the prison environment and outside of it. Kids may exhibit challenging behaviors, not because they’re difficult, but because they’re dealing with difficult circumstances that many of us didn’t face growing up.

Our goal is to break down barriers between prison staff, parents, and children, fostering an environment where kids can see their parent’s humanity and where staff can see beyond an inmate’s record. It’s far from perfect, but we believe in a justice system that prioritizes rehabilitation. Each small connection we create works toward that vision, and we’d love for more people to witness and understand this process.

Ava: What do you wish people knew about children and families dealing with incarceration?

Kenzie: There are still so many misconceptions about prisons and the people inside them. We’ve met incredible parents who are still deeply engaged with their children, despite the mistakes that led to their incarceration. These parents have so much life ahead of them, and so do their children. The goal is to create a future where incarceration doesn’t hold them or their families back, and it isn’t something they have to feel shame about.

While we aren’t there yet, our hope is to see a shift in society’s approach to incarceration, making it more supportive and humane. And that’s something we’re dedicated to building, step by step.

It’s so important to understand that every child, family, and parent involved with Camp Reunite has their own story and experiences. These kids and families don’t come out of nowhere; there are histories and circumstances that led them to where they are. For kids, if they show challenging behaviors in school, they might get labeled as 'difficult' or a 'problem child.' But these behaviors often stem from the challenges they’re facing, and they deserve to be understood through a trauma-informed lens.

When families allow us to share their stories, it can really change how others see them. It reminds people that these kids and parents are not 'bad' or 'evil' - they’re individuals whose circumstances have brought them to this point. There’s often so much going on that’s outside of their control, and in many ways, society plays a role in creating the situations they’re dealing with. Every member of society has a part to play, from raising awareness to supporting systemic changes in how we approach incarceration.

Many people aren’t aware of the scope of the issue or the lasting impact of parental incarceration on children. With the right support, we could help these kids envision brighter futures. Unfortunately, this is rarely talked about, and the lack of representation in the media means that many people assume it’s not a common issue or don’t understand its depth. But parental incarceration is widespread, affecting not only parents but their children, caregivers, and extended family members as well. The ripple effect is enormous, spreading across entire families and communities.

Ava: You’re absolutely right. So many people don’t realize how widespread this issue is and how deeply it affects entire families. It sounds like Camp Reunite is really working to bring visibility to their stories and needs. For the children you work with, who face these unique challenges, what advice would you give to help them navigate having an incarcerated parent or facing adversity in general?

Kenzie: For children facing parental incarceration—or any adversity, really—the first thing we want to offer is community. I believe every child deserves cheerleaders in their life and access to adequate resources. Unfortunately, not every child has these, and we need to do a better job of creating a minimum level of support that every kid can count on. Kids need people in their corner, adults who care and can connect them to resources. It’s hard enough to face these challenges without feeling isolated, and no child should have to go through this alone. 

This need for support goes beyond just children of incarcerated parents; every child facing hardship deserves a network of people who understand and care. Right now, we’re focused on serving as many kids as we can and fostering a strong, supportive community. The first step is always providing that adult connection, someone who checks in and offers resources. When kids have this kind of support, they can begin to heal, work through trauma, and see more possibilities for their future. For me, that’s what it’s all about.

Ava: That’s such an empowering approach—offering children both community and support to help them feel seen and understood. After all the support you’ve helped provide, who or what has most influenced your views on incarceration and parental incarceration?

Kenzie: Our co-founder Neil’s story - hearing his experiences and seeing the initial data made it clear there was a real need here, and we were ready to give our best effort to address it. We weren’t experts, but we felt that if we didn’t step up, who would? So we decided to go for it, knowing we’d learn along the way. And honestly, our biggest insights have come from the kids, parents, and families we serve, as well as from correctional officers, social workers, and advocates in the criminal justice field. The kids and families, especially, have opened our eyes and taught us how to meet them where they are.

Our approach isn’t to assume what they need or provide a blanket solution. Instead, we ask, ‘How can we help?’ and really listen to their answers. Every activity we do is influenced by what they’ve told us they need. When we visit parents in prison, they get to choose how we spend the day with their kids—even down to the food we eat. This brings a sense of dignity and choice back to the families and helps us tailor our support to fit each family’s needs. Kids know a lot about what they need, and when we listen, they help shape Camp Reunite in the most meaningful ways.

This responsive approach means we’re constantly adapting—adding new programs, adjusting activities, and finding ways to deliver the support families actually want. Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all curriculum, we make room for every family’s unique situation and background. Incarceration impacts people from all walks of life, and every family is different. So we work to offer support that is as personalized as possible.

Ava: What final advice would you give to others about making a difference?

Kenzie: If I could give one piece of advice to others, it would be not to let fear hold you back from starting. None of us had lived experience with incarceration, but we had the passion to help, and that’s okay. The problem is huge, with millions of kids in this country who could benefit from a program like Camp Reunite. Even if we’re only able to help a few hundred each year in one state, that’s still a difference. We moved forward, learned as we went, and stayed committed to adapting and improving each year.

The time is now—children’s lives and childhoods are happening right now, and they won’t get a second chance at that. We just had to start, knowing we’d build the plane as we flew it. And that’s still true today. Starting is hard, but once you take that first step, you won’t look back. So just get going, listen to those you serve, and keep improving from there.

Ava: Thank you, Kenzie! This has been such an enlightening conversation. Your work with Camp Reunite is incredible, and I know our readers will appreciate learning about it.

Kenzie: Thank you so much for the opportunity to share. I hope Camp Reunite can inspire others to create similar programs. We’re always happy to share our experiences and collaborate to expand this kind of support.

Ava: To learn more, please check out https://www.campreunite.org/.