An inmate father records Where the Wild Things Are, a story by Maurice Sendak, on audio tape to send to his child.

Being separated from your child is every parent's biggest fear. Knowing that the separation is temporary lessens both the parent's and the child's anxiety. This is often not the case for incarcerated inmates and their children. Time spent with family members is limited to weekend visits.

Currently 70 percent of female prisoners are more than eight to 12 hours away from families and frequent visits are almost impossible for many.

The Florida Department of Corrections has created an innovative way to address this growing problem between incarcerated mothers and their children.

This new program is a spin off of a similar successful program with male inmates from Gulf CI, Wakulla CI, Dade CI-Annex and South Florida Reception Center.

Kicked off in 1998, Reading Family Ties allows male inmates to record their reading of stories onto audio tapes to send to their children.

The female version, called Reading Family Ties-Face to Face offers one-hour visits using teleconferencing. A communication system uses an existing state long-distance, dial-up phone system, with computer video capabilities, allowing mothers in Lowell CI and Hernando CI to participate in the program. Their children both see and hear their mothers.

Mothers read text suitable to the child's reading level. At the same time, the child will be following along in the book in Miami.

DOC Consultant Anne Holt, who authored the grant said, "Sometimes inmates that have been indifferent to education will really get interested, when they realize they can participate in this program. Love of one's child is a great motivator for learning to read well." she said.

Families With Loved Ones (FLIP) and Florida Prison Network, two DOC non-profit agency partners will assist in transporting the children. The funding of this program comes from a $300,000 federal grant with matching funds from DOC and Alliance for Media Arts.