Home > Sibling Issues in Foster Care and Adoption: A Bulletin for Professionals > Resources for Promoting Intact Placement of Sibling Groups

	Rate this Publication Average Rating: 5.00 (out of 5), 1 Raters Printable Version PDF (15 pgs, 356 KB) Email This Order Publication (Free - Add to Cart)

Sibling Issues in Foster Care and Adoption
Bulletin for Professionals

Author(s):  Child Welfare Information Gateway

Year Published:  2006

previous

You are in section: Table of Contents 1 - Defining a Sibling Relationship 2 - The Importance of Siblings 3 - Sibling Relationships in Abusive or Neglectful… 4 - Benefits of Placing Siblings Together 5 - Barriers to Placing Siblings Together 6 - Policies and Practices for Keeping Siblings… 7 - When Siblings Cannot Live Together 8 - Maintaining Ties Between Separated Siblings 9 - Sibling Issues Within the Foster or Adoptive… 10 - Resources for Promoting Intact Placement of… References

next

10. Resources for Promoting Intact Placement of Sibling Groups

States and agencies have developed special programs or resources to facilitate meeting the needs of siblings in out-of-home care. Below is a list of some of the resources that help professionals to address the needs of sibling groups. Additional resources may be found in the reference list.

• Both professionals and foster parents may be helped to appreciate the child’s perspective on the importance of sibling connections and the painful impact of separation from siblings by reading the following:
  • Herrick, M. A., & Piccus, W. (2005). Sibling connections: The importance of nurturing sibling bonds in the foster care system. Children and Youth Services Review, 27(7), 845-861.
    www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/01907409
  • Folman, R. D. (1998). "I was tooken": How children experience removal from their parents preliminary to placement into foster care. Adoption Quarterly, 2(2), 7-35.
    http://dx.doi.org/DOI:10.1300/J145v02n02_02
  
  
  
• My brother, my sister: Sibling relations in adoption and foster care. This 6-hour training curriculum by Regina Kupecky emphasizes the importance of sibling relationships. It consists of trainer’s notes, activities, PowerPoint slides and video. Order from the Attachment and Bonding Center of Ohio, 12608 State Road, Suite 1, North Royalton, OH 44133.
  
  
• The Proceedings of the National Leadership Symposium on Siblings in Out-of-Home Care (May 19-20, 2002) may be downloaded from the website of Casey Family Programs. This volume contains many resources, including an appendix on policies and laws on sibling placements (pp. 63-70) as well as a variety of materials useful in trainings.
  www.casey.org/Resources/Archive/Publications/SiblingSymposium.htm
  
  
• The Sibling Practice Curriculum from the National Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice and Permanency Planning utilizes materials developed by Casey Family Programs.
  www.hunter.cuny.edu/socwork/nrcfcpp/info_services/siblings.html
  
  
• Samples of State policies and links to many complete policies regarding sibling placement and visitation can be found in documents available from the National Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice and Permanency Planning.
  www.hunter.cuny.edu/socwork/nrcfcpp/info_services/siblings.html
  
  
• The Oklahoma Department of Human Services has developed a video on the importance of keeping siblings together in adoption. The Sibling Connection: Keeping Brothers and Sisters Together Through Adoption is available by contacting Deborah Goodman at 918.588.1735 or Deborah.Goodman@okdhs.org
  
  
• The Maine Youth Advisory Leadership Team, composed of youth in care and their guardians, caseworkers, and others, prepared a position paper on siblings in out-of-home care that was adopted by the Bureau of Child and Family Services as its sibling policy.
  www.ylat.org//leadership/policy/sibling/siblingpolicy.htm
  
  
• Minnesota has developed Program Improvement Plan (PIP) tips to help counties in their efforts to improve practice related to Child and Family Services Review issues. Two of these publications deal with siblings (placement issues and visitation).
  www.dhs.state.mn.us/main/groups/county_access/documents/pub/dhs_id_028205.hcsp
  
  
• There are some unique programs around the country to facilitate foster or adopted siblings’ contact with each other. A well-known program is Camp To Belong, which was developed in Colorado by sisters who had been in foster care themselves. This program has been replicated in at least five other States and in Canada. Some States have developed regular weekend camps specifically for children who are separated in foster care or adoption.
  www.camptobelong.org/

previous

You are in section: Table of Contents 1 - Defining a Sibling Relationship 2 - The Importance of Siblings 3 - Sibling Relationships in Abusive or Neglectful… 4 - Benefits of Placing Siblings Together 5 - Barriers to Placing Siblings Together 6 - Policies and Practices for Keeping Siblings… 7 - When Siblings Cannot Live Together 8 - Maintaining Ties Between Separated Siblings 9 - Sibling Issues Within the Foster or Adoptive… 10 - Resources for Promoting Intact Placement of… References

next

This material may be freely reproduced and distributed. However, when doing so, please credit Child Welfare Information Gateway.

Updated on December 10, 2007