A prison shuttle ministry, has allowed Hoosier youth to stay in contact with family members, who are serving prison sentences. “Use What You’ve Got Prison Ministry: Keeping Families Connected," a nonprofit allows families to visit with their dads, uncles, moms, husbands and other relatives.

Vincent and Vivian Randolph get along like no other brother and sister. They do everything together. They both sing in the church choir. Vivian was vice president of Northview Middle School's student council, while Vincent was president. They "hang" around the same people. While many brothers and sisters are at each other's throats, these two are great friends. "We had a younger brother, and

In recent years families have been, for better or for worse, changing drastically. New complexions of families have emerged - single-mom families, single parents with either mom- or dad-only, stepparents and step siblings from previous marriages - with definitions including a variety of structures. According to the Annie E. Casey KIDS COUNT data book for 1994, 25.1 percent of children in the

KIDS SPEAK In a roundtable, kids express their thoughts and feelings about a given topic. It is an expression of opinion, based on the experiences of each participant. Permissive parents are very easygoing about what their kids do or where they go. Children's Express reporters in New York recently talked about how much freedom their parents give them and how they feel about it. ELVIN, 12: Par

In researching her book, Ask the Children: What America's Children Really Think About Working Parents, Ellen Galinsky found that parents' work doesn't affect children nearly as much as their parenting skills do. "The most important thing is that there be real feeling and love between the parent and the child," she said. Y-Press recently went to Greenbriar Elementary School in Washington Township t

Ellen Galinsky grew up in a family where the adults always asked the kids questions, and the kids were allowed to respond openly. So it's not surprising that when she grew up, she asked the children also. Today, Galinsky is president of the Families and Work Institute in New York. She continues to inquire, study and write. Today, though, she has a more public audience. She and her colleagues study

Have you ever wondered what life would be like if you were the son or daughter of a figure in the local media? Would your life be any different than it is now? Y-Press spoke with five young people who live this situation: * Tory Herrmann, 10, daughter of Mark Herrmann, former Colts quarterback. * Reese Dick, 10, son of Gerry Dick, host of "Inside Indiana Business" on WFYI (Channel 20). * Cary Patt

In the United States, the war in Iraq has generally increased patriotism and support for troops. For one Indiana youth, the patriotism has a more personal tone. Keith Fromme, 14, Ferdinand, last saw his father, Patrick, in February, when he left for Iraq to serve as a command sergeant major in the National Guard. "I'm proud that he is serving our country," Keith said in a recent video-conference c

When Mark Mecker got married, he gave little thought to the fact that his wife, Cathy, was a member of another religion. Larry Dorfman and Roger Lenke felt the same way about their wives. But raising children in an interfaith family did require some forethought. Y-Press interviewed the three interfaith families about the issues and difficulties they faced: Mark and Cathy Mecker are Episcopalian an

In last week's Y-Press story, three couples reflected on their decision to raise their children in interfaith households. Today, their children discuss their family life and religious preferences. Alex Dorfman From the beginning, Alex Dorfman's parents exposed him to the two religions they practiced -- Episcopalianism from his mother, Karen, and Judaism from his father, Larry. "They don't really f

While replaying the conversation in his mind, Michael Johnson becomes anxious, and his body begins to ache. His mind is cluttered with feelings of regret and delight. At 20, Johnson's girlfriend told him she was pregnant. He knew he was not ready, financially or mentally, to become a father. Nevertheless, he wanted the child. "I wanted the child because that was something I wanted to experience. I

"Growing up without a father, you do feel left out, playing baseball, football, father-son breakfasts. There's quite a bit of stuff that dads and sons do together that I couldn't do anymore. "I remember trying different uncles, but it just wasn't the same. I ended up not wanting to mess with anything like that, 'cause it wasn't him, and it just wasn't right doing it without him." Mike Moore was 7

How would you feel if you were related to retired Gen. Norman Schwartzkopf, commander of Desert Storm? Or if one of your ancestors shot himself in the head? Angie Schwartzkopf, 19, of Portland, Ind., found both individuals on her family tree. Y-Press went to Portland to talk to four youths who researched their families. The others were Jennifer Hunt, 12, Portland; Blake Watson, 20, Redkey; and Zac

Teaching as a profession has been around from the earliest days. Such notable teachers as Socrates and Plato immediately spring to mind. Despite the challenges, teaching still attracts a variety of individuals, including many from the same family. In an effort to find such teachers statewide, Y-Press contacted the Indiana State Teachers Association. Mark Shoup, coordinator of public relations, sen

Many children see nothing of their dads except in the morning and at night, juggling a schedule of work and school. Weekends can be just as busy. But it's different for some Indianapolis children and their dads, who are members of Foolish Fathers. Imagine a day of doing nothing but having fun. That is the idea behind Foolish Fathers, founded in 1972 by seven dads who almost called the organization

Last year, seven teens who were "aging out" of the foster- care system wrote a letter outlining concerns about the system and suggesting ways to make placements easier. Among those suggestions: * Keep siblings in touch. "Some of us go months without seeing our brothers and sisters. If a foster home cannot be found to take all siblings, then arrangements should be made for regular visits and not ju

Tucked behind some trees on a Northside street is a cozy three-story house. Inside, three toddlers run through the rooms, and the sound of children's laughter rises from the basement. Two women sit in the living room, talking. This is a happy place. No one would know that these women are prisoners, serving out their sentences here. Y-Press recently visited Craine House, an alternative sentencing p

It seems to be a law of nature: No kid has a perfect family, particularly after bratty siblings, parents and eccentric relatives are factored in. But while every family has its problems, teens like Tiffany arguably have more than most. Tiffany, 17, has been in the foster care system for more than two years, ever since her mother's boyfriend was charged with molesting her in April 2002. Her surname

W hat do actor Samuel L. Jackson, rapper 50 Cent (Curtis Jackson) and mathematician Sir Isaac Newton have in common? All were raised by their grandparents. And they aren't alone, according to Megan Dolbin-MacNab, a marriage and family therapist and human development professor at Virginia Tech who has done extensive research on grandparents raising grandchildren. Dolbin-MacNab says 4.5 million chil

Mother's Day is fraught with expectations. Retailers and advertisers stress the importance of the right greeting card, the perfect present, the most memorable celebration. But what mothers really want is to know that they are doing something right. And the people who can best answer this question are their children. A few Y-Press members agreed to share some of their thoughts and recollections of