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Sibling Issues in Foster Care and Adoption
Bulletin for Professionals

Author(s):  Child Welfare Information Gateway

Year Published:  2006

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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

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4. Benefits of Placing Siblings Together

For children entering care, being with siblings can enhance their sense of safety and well-being. They are not burdened with wondering where their siblings are and whether or not they are safe. Siblings in the same home can provide natural support to each other and some sense of stability and belonging. Continuity of sibling relationships assists children in maintaining a positive sense of identity and knowledge of their cultural, personal, and family histories.

Sibling placement may also affect permanency outcomes. A recent study found that placing siblings in the same foster home was associated with a significantly higher rate of family reunification (Webster, Shlonsky, Shaw, & Brookhart, 2005).

For agencies, placing siblings in the same home can streamline some processes such as visits by caseworkers. Also, caseworkers are relieved of the obligation to arrange and carry out visits among siblings if they are already living together. Communication between birth and foster families is also made more manageable when there is only one foster family involved.

Conversely, a body of research has established that separated siblings in foster care are at higher risk for a number of negative outcomes, including placement disruption; running away; and failure to exit the system to reunification, adoption, or guardianship (Leathers, 2005; Courtney et al., 2005). Girls separated from all of their siblings are at the greatest risk for poor mental health and socialization (Tarren-Sweeney & Hazell, 2005).

A foster youth advisory team described separation from siblings entering foster care as being "like an extra punishment, a separate loss, and another pain that is not needed" (YLAT, 2002). Even for very young children, separation from a sibling deprives them of developing a relationship that might be expected to offer them significant support over the course of their lives.

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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

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Updated on September 18, 2008