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Think about your brothers and sisters. Growing up together, you had time to make the childhood memories you have today. Children in foster care need time together with their family to make the same kind of memories. Did you know that 65%-85% of children in foster care are part of a sibling group? While this is encouraging to know that so many are together, it is estimated that more than half are separated from at least one sibling. Read on to learn more about why it is important to foster sibling groups and why you should consider it.
Attachment To Family Helps A Child’s Emotional Health
Most children in foster care are there due to some type of abuse or neglect back home. In some cases, their siblings may have been the only family that showed love toward them. Giving siblings a chance to be together as a family can help improve their emotional health, as they are less stressed knowing they have someone to depend on. It’s difficult enough being separated from their home, let alone each other.
Siblings As Parental Figures
In households where children have faced neglect, many times older siblings step in as the parental figures. Some foster children may have had stronger ties to their siblings than to their parents and may miss the comfort of someone looking out for them in a strange, new environment. Older siblings may also miss the comfort of having their younger siblings in the same home, so that they know they are safe and provided for.
Recreating A Family Home
While living with a new family is an adjustment for any foster child, they can recreate the home experience when they have each other to rely on. If an older sister was in the habit of helping a younger brother with homework, she can continue to do so while in foster care. If comfortable, both may offer suggestions on things they enjoyed back home, such as a favorite meal or game. Siblings can advocate for each other, so that they can find comfort in a new home together.
More Likely To Stay Together Long-Term
Depending on the foster child’s situation, they may need foster care for some time. Keeping siblings together means it is less likely that a younger sibling will get adopted, leaving the older sibling alone. A family looking to adopt may also consider adopting siblings together once they see how much they depend on one another.
Other Ways To Keep A Bond
While not all sibling groups can be kept together, foster parents can find ways to allow them to stay in touch. Reaching out to your foster agency for information on the sibling’s foster home can help with this. While you may or may not get the information you are seeking, it is possible that you may be able to allow siblings to Skype, email, phone, or write letters to one another.
Are you considering helping a child in need in the state of Illinois? Reach out to Camelot Care Centers today. If you have the love in your heart and the space in your home, consider fostering a family in need. Foster children thrive when they are kept together with their family members. Not only will the child be happier with their siblings, you will be happier, knowing they are safe together.
Every child needs and deserves to grow up safe and protected from abuse and neglect, and caring foster parents offer children support and stability when they need it most. At Camelot Care Centers, we specialize in higher-level foster care for children and adolescents that need extra support. We partner with our foster parents/homes to provide trauma informed care and additional services, including in-home counseling, parent support and training, tele-psychiatry, and therapeutic mentoring, to maintain children at the least restrictive, yet most appropriate level of care. Camelot Care Centers (“Camelot”) is a Child Welfare Agency licensed by the State of Illinois, a member of the Illinois Collaboration on Youth (ICOY), and is accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA).
