Family Services Programs at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility Named a Mutual of America 2018 Community Partnership Award Winner

NEW YORK, Nov. 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Mutual of America announced today that Family Services Programs at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility was named an Honorable Mention award recipient of its 2018 Community Partnership Award competition.

In 2013, Hour Children, a leading provider of prison- and community-based services for women who are currently or formerly incarcerated and their children, partnered with the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision to enhance and administer its long-standing prison based programs at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility.

Hour Children oversees the prison's Nursery program, which allows mothers to live with their babies for up to 18 months. In addition, the Teen program enables up to 42 adolescents to visit monthly with their mothers, while the Overnight and Summer programs provide extended opportunities for children to spend time with their mothers during the day, while staying with a host family in the evenings. In addition, Hour Children provides transportation to bring families together, advocacy, parenting education, case management and mentoring.

"We named Hour Children to acknowledge the most important hours that shape the life of a child with an incarcerated mother: the hour of their mother's arrest, the hour of their visit and the hour of her release," said Sister Tesa Fitzgerald, Executive Director. "Last year, Hour Children hosted more than 2,000 visits between mothers who are incarcerated and their children. Together, we're working to end the cycle of intergenerational incarceration by helping these women and their children to strengthen their bonds and build healthy, independent and secure lives."

About the Mutual of America Community Partnership Award

The Mutual of America Community Partnership Award annually honors the outstanding contributions that nonprofit organizations, in partnership with public, private and other social sector organizations, make to society. Since 1996, the Community Partnership Award has recognized 230 partnerships from cities and towns across America. To watch videos of all of the national award-winning programs, visit the Mutual of America Foundation Community Partnership Award channel on YouTube.

About Mutual of America

Mutual of America has specialized in providing retirement products and related services to organizations and their employees, as well as individuals, for over 70 years. As a mutual company, we do not have stockholders and are not publicly traded. We operate solely for the benefit of our customers, managing the Company for their long-term interest, rather than for the short-term demands of stockholders.

Mutual of America is a leading provider of retirement products, offering personalized service at a competitive price to help plan participants and individuals build and preserve assets for a financially secure future. Integrity, prudence, and reliability are the values that have guided us since our inception and that continue to serve us well. For more information, please visit us at mutualofamerica.com.

SOURCE Mutual of America