Every year, about 300,000 children are placed into out-of-home care due to abuse and neglect (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). Many of these children already have siblings in the system. Sibling separation in foster care is a dilemma that many families go through when being placed into foster care. Brothers and sisters who have relied on each other for comfort and support through tough circumstances in their lives are forced to leave one another’s side for many reasons. Although sometimes it may be in the best interest of the child to be separated from his or her brother or sister, if the abuse is happening between the siblings. However that is not always the case. Brothers and sisters should remain together as family when being
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According to an article by Margaret Ward, titled “ Why Should Sibling Groups Be Kept Together in Adoption”, “separating brothers and sisters is an actual form of emotional abuse” (Ward). Siblings that are placed into foster care go through enough mistreatment, therefore separating them will just add more stress, damage and separation problems to their daily lives. Siblings come as pairs, so to take one and not the other should be forbidden. An article titled The Psychological Consequences of Separating Siblings in Foster Care by Dr. Waln Brown states that, “foster care children deprived of sibling connections are more likely to act out or even endure mental health issues in the care of strangers” (The Chronicle of Social Change). These children go from being together to a foreign environment. Behavioral disorders, and emotional problems are just some of the few health issues these will siblings go through when being …show more content…
Siblings become closer while helping each other cope through situations that they have experienced together. Separating them will only worsen things in the long run. For example, once they leave the system at the age of 18, the reconnection will become much harder because they were separated without any form of communication. Sometimes social worker cant fit visits into the schedules of their lives because each foster family is different. In some situations foster parents decide to adopt the child but only the child placed with them. If this is the case, the custody of the sibling is now under their new foster parents, making even more hard for siblings to reconnect. A bulletin titled Sibling issues in foster care and adoption, informs that a Texas study of adult foster alumni found that those who had greater access to their siblings and reported stronger relationships with them during childhood had higher levels of social support, self-esteem, and income, as well as stronger adult sibling relationships than those who did not. Keeping them together will only benefit them, the families they will go to, and the foster system. It will bring a sense of security and support that only they can insight
According to an article by Margaret Ward, titled “ Why Should Sibling Groups Be Kept Together in Adoption”, “separating brothers and sisters is an actual form of emotional abuse” (Ward). Siblings that are placed into foster care go through enough mistreatment, therefore separating them will just add more stress, damage and separation problems to their daily lives. Siblings come as pairs, so to take one and not the other should be forbidden. An article titled The Psychological Consequences of Separating Siblings in Foster Care by Dr. Waln Brown states that, “foster care children deprived of sibling connections are more likely to act out or even endure mental health issues in the care of strangers” (The Chronicle of Social Change). These children go from being together to a foreign environment. Behavioral disorders, and emotional problems are just some of the few health issues these will siblings go through when being …show more content…
Siblings become closer while helping each other cope through situations that they have experienced together. Separating them will only worsen things in the long run. For example, once they leave the system at the age of 18, the reconnection will become much harder because they were separated without any form of communication. Sometimes social worker cant fit visits into the schedules of their lives because each foster family is different. In some situations foster parents decide to adopt the child but only the child placed with them. If this is the case, the custody of the sibling is now under their new foster parents, making even more hard for siblings to reconnect. A bulletin titled Sibling issues in foster care and adoption, informs that a Texas study of adult foster alumni found that those who had greater access to their siblings and reported stronger relationships with them during childhood had higher levels of social support, self-esteem, and income, as well as stronger adult sibling relationships than those who did not. Keeping them together will only benefit them, the families they will go to, and the foster system. It will bring a sense of security and support that only they can insight