Fostering Sibling Groups

When children enter into care, there is often a huge amount of uncertainty and instability happening around them. Whenever possible, it’s recommended that siblings who are taken into foster care at the same time are kept together to maintain a feeling of connection, familiarity, and provide support for each other. This encourages better long-term outcomes and more positive futures for young people in care.

Some foster carers who have the space and the capacity may be asked to foster sibling groups. Like all other foster children, each child in a sibling group should have their own bedroom to allow them their own private space – so if you have a home with more than one spare bedroom available, you may be considered for fostering siblings. Fostering siblings together isn’t always possible in every case, so you might also play a role in helping foster children to connect and have time with siblings who have been placed with other foster carers nearby.

Fostering sibling groups:

• Allows children to keep close contact with brothers and sisters who may be the only people they trust at that point in time.
• Can be challenging. Juggling the needs and attentions of more than one foster child at the same time can be difficult, but for patient, prepared foster carers the progress the children make is extremely rewarding.
• Can allow young people who may have stepped into a ‘caregiving’ role in their family unit to step back and behave like other children, without additional pressures.

To find out more about Fostering Siblings with Team Fostering, leave us your details here, chat to one of our advisors on Live Chat or call us on 0800 292 2003, we'd be happy to answer all of your questions.