When children experience parental losses, neglect and abuse, they depend on one another to survive. In the absence of reliable parental care, children turn to siblings for support, leading to strong sibling bonds. Being with siblings in placement helps to mitigate the impact of separation and loss and offers continuity, support and a sense of safety and security for children.
Practice wisdom and research support the premise that children experience better permanency outcomes when placed with their siblings. These outcomes include greater placement stability, fewer emotional and behavioral difficulties, fewer placements and fewer days in placement. Most older youth who age out of the system originally came into care with one or more siblings. This resource offers principles -- which grow out of, and align with, these attitudes -- to frame an agency's recruitment and retention practices related to siblings.
This resource is by AdoptUSKids, and is funded through a Cooperative Agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children’s Bureau. (2010)
