Why is there a need for a National Non-Profit?
Although federal and state laws exist to protect foster sibling connections, there isn’t full implementation on the ground. Here at the National Network for Foster Sibling Connections we’re committed to sharing best practices across the country and working towards changes in policy and practice.
What are foster youth sibling rights?
Although federal law provides for many protections for foster youth to be placed with their siblings and access frequent visitation, foster youth have been routinely placed away from their siblings and often get infrequent visitation.
A top priority of many foster youth advocacy groups by and for people with lived experience is a focus on sibling connections.
What’s the problem with how things have been done? Why are sibling connections important?
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Sibling connections in foster care are incredibly important. When a child experiences a separation from their biological parents, they often rely more on their siblings and family connections for normalcy and a sense of stability and emotional support. The sibling connection in particular is the longest relationship that many people have in their lifetimes. Research has found that sibling relationships have impacts on everything from self esteem, and childhood grades, to future health outcomes and employability.
“Research shows that the failure to maintain sibling relationships in foster care harms children’s ability to form their identities, deprives them of a vital source of support as they grow and develop, and causes lifelong grief and yearning. Further, direct accounts from youth with lived experience in foster care describe how critical sibling relationships are and the trauma of sibling separation. Roughly two-thirds of children in foster care in the United States have at least one sibling, many of them are separated– often forever – and courts rarely consider the damage such separation causes.” See ABA Toolkit page 1.
Unfortunately child welfare practices, licensing standards, timelines and bureaucratic hurdles often have made separation of siblings a common harmful experience across the country.
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ABOUT US
The National Network for Foster Sibling Connections brings together social workers, dependency attorneys, judges, CASAs, caregivers, parents, program staff and people with lived experience to help support sibling connections and implement sibling connections laws. Members include stakeholders from all parts of the system including but not limited to - dependency counsel, the courts, CASAs, family members, and Social workers.