Why Siblings Should Not be Separated in Foster Care
Foster care is an ever-evolving system. Its brilliant purpose is to care for minors temporarily while their birth parents are unable to do so. Though its outside appearance is amazing, some flaws lie within. The most major flaw being children separated from their siblings. Children are removed from their home and placed with strangers, already stripping them of their familial identity. Separating them from their siblings as well would make them feel more alone and unconnected to anyone or anything. Government foster care systems should make it a duty to keep all siblings together when placed in a home.
Being labeled as an “orphan,” “ward of the court,” “at-risk youth,” “or “foster child” already takes a toll on one’s self esteem. Having a title such as these makes many people label you as less fortunate, less worthy, less capable, or less lovable. Almost less everything. While a child’s world is crashing down and changing all at once, the presence of a sibling allows them to have a sense of permanency. According to Michelle Cohn in her information packet on Sibling Placement, sixty-five to eighty-five percent of U.S. foster children come from sibling groups. …show more content…
As well as the fact that they may be able to have a better chance at finding permanency because many couples only want to adopt one child. Although, separating children who have a sense of rivalry teaches them to run away from problems instead of facing them and fixing them. Siblings who stay together and resolve their issues develop stronger relationships with each other and other individuals. Also, even a child with more needs than normal will not always benefit from being adopted as an only child. The parents may expect the child to become their envisionment of the perfect child and change troublesome behavior before they are mentally
Foster care is an ever-evolving system. Its brilliant purpose is to care for minors temporarily while their birth parents are unable to do so. Though its outside appearance is amazing, some flaws lie within. The most major flaw being children separated from their siblings. Children are removed from their home and placed with strangers, already stripping them of their familial identity. Separating them from their siblings as well would make them feel more alone and unconnected to anyone or anything. Government foster care systems should make it a duty to keep all siblings together when placed in a home.
Being labeled as an “orphan,” “ward of the court,” “at-risk youth,” “or “foster child” already takes a toll on one’s self esteem. Having a title such as these makes many people label you as less fortunate, less worthy, less capable, or less lovable. Almost less everything. While a child’s world is crashing down and changing all at once, the presence of a sibling allows them to have a sense of permanency. According to Michelle Cohn in her information packet on Sibling Placement, sixty-five to eighty-five percent of U.S. foster children come from sibling groups. …show more content…
As well as the fact that they may be able to have a better chance at finding permanency because many couples only want to adopt one child. Although, separating children who have a sense of rivalry teaches them to run away from problems instead of facing them and fixing them. Siblings who stay together and resolve their issues develop stronger relationships with each other and other individuals. Also, even a child with more needs than normal will not always benefit from being adopted as an only child. The parents may expect the child to become their envisionment of the perfect child and change troublesome behavior before they are mentally