Foster care gives children in need the chance to thrive with a new family environment. But what about siblings in foster care? Learn more in our blog!
Foster care gives children in need the chance to thrive with a new family environment—no matter where they come from.
Oftentimes, when we think of foster care, we think about families taking in a single child in care. However, what we may forget is that there are many siblings in foster care—what happens when brothers and sisters need a new home?
The answer: Siblings in foster care should be kept together.
Let’s dive into why it’s important for siblings in foster care to stick together—which is even more important when moving to a new foster home.
There are many reasons why siblings should be kept together in foster care—here are a few of the most important ones.
Entering foster care can be a scary time for children, no matter what they’ve been through. When siblings are separated from one another, both can experience immense stress and disorder as a result. That’s why keeping that special bond strong helps kids feel safe and loved — even when everything else is changing around them.
In a time where children are away from parts of their family, keeping siblings together allows them to hang on to an important member of their family — helping them thrive in the process.
Foster care provides children in need with the chance to be part of a loving and caring family.
However, it often takes time for a child in care to warm up to their new family — how long this takes will depend on the child, their background, and any trauma they’ve gone through.
When siblings in foster care stick together, they can help each other through the tough times as they get used to the new home. They know each other better than anyone else, and that makes a big difference. Having a brother or sister by their side means they’re not alone, helps them feel more stable and secure, and can even help them warm up to their new home even faster!
Siblings can help each other improve their social and emotional skills — especially for those who have been through trauma or negative experiences.
They also get to spend time playing and doing new things together. Forming a bond with their new foster parents is important, but children in care should also form relationships with other kids around their age. They can do this at school or in the community, but it always helps to have someone at home that they can share new activities with, such as outings, games, crafts, or hobbies.
Foster parents can help with this, too — as a foster parent, you can encourage full family activities that they enjoy to help strengthen their bond and help them thrive.
Mentor Foster Care, a part of Sevita’s companies, provides support for foster children throughout the US, and we always encourage siblings in foster care to stay together. After all, we believe that gives them the best chance of a bright future ahead!
Learn more about how Mentor Foster Care helps foster parents and children today.
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