In a study of California foster children with siblings in care, about 46 percent were placed with all their siblings who were in care, and 66 percent were placed with at least one sibling. In a longitudinal analysis of placement patterns of more than 168,000 foster youth with siblings in care in New York City over a 15-year period, initial placement status was a strong determinant of sibling placement over time. Forty-three percent of siblings entered care on the same day, with another 10 percent entering within 30 days. A substantial number (41 percent) entered care longer than 6 months apart, and these siblings were at the highest risk of being separated. In fact, for siblings not entering care together, two-thirds were not placed together initially; however, when siblings entered care together, 78 percent were placed all together.

Factors Associated With Placing Siblings Apart

Besides entering foster care together, a number of other demographic and situational factors are associated with the likelihood that siblings are placed in the same foster home. These include:

• Size of sibling group-larger groups are more often split
• Age gap-wide age span leads to splitting
• Differences in the needs of siblings
• Type of placement-siblings placed with kin are more likely to be together
• Differences in relatives-kin may want to foster only children to whom they are related, and not include half-siblings or step-siblings who are not blood relatives
• Behavior problems-a sibling with a behavior problem is more likely to be removed, while brothers and sisters may remain in the placement
• Organizational policies and procedures
• Adequacy of placement resources and supports
• Agency rules regarding the maximum number of children who can be placed in a foster home

Beliefs Associated With Placing Siblings Apart

Beliefs and attitudes of foster parents, workers, agency personnel, and therapists also contribute to separating siblings. In a study of foster parents' and workers' views on placing siblings, over half of the foster mothers (55 percent) did not believe it was easier for a foster child to fit into the foster family if placed with siblings. As explained by one foster parent, "the siblings depend on one another too much and shut other people out". Approximately 45 percent of foster parents believed that children placed with siblings were easier to foster because they felt more secure having their siblings with them.

In this same study, over half the caseworkers indicated that it was difficult to find foster parents willing to accept sibling groups. Most caseworkers also believed that the presence of siblings made it harder for the foster parents to incorporate the child into the family. However, the vast majority of caseworkers personally believed in the county policy of placing children with their siblings, unless separation was in the best interests of the child.

Recommendations of therapists may be the basis of some placements. However, best practice indicates that the therapist should have experience with siblings in child welfare and that the same therapist should see all of the siblings in order to make a recommendation that is beneficial for the group. Some clinical judgments that have been used to justify separating siblings are not necessarily best practice.

Although each of the following reasons has been used in the past to separate siblings, child welfare professionals now generally agree that these are not reasons to keep siblings apart:

• There is too much conflict or rivalry between particular siblings to keep them together.
• The special needs of a single child require a separate placement.
• An older child is too involved in taking care of a younger brother or sister.
• A sibling born after older siblings have been removed from the home can be considered separately for purposes of permanency goals, because the children do not have an established relationship.

In many of these cases, therapy and services will help all the siblings, and the benefits of being together will outweigh those of being separated.

Sources:

[1] Sibling Issues in Foster Care and Adoption, Child Welfare Information Gateway, U.S. Department of Health and Human Service