The post of “Colorado Pass Bill - Helping Siblings in Foster Care” has brought up a few questions that I would like to address.

Is this a trend? Are other states following suit with laws about the rights of foster siblings to see each other?

Some states are trying to assure that foster children are able to see their siblings. Colorado is the only state that I am aware that has passed any kind of law or legislation to assure that foster... more

House Bill 1006 has passed in Colorado that will help foster children that have siblings in different foster homes and also when a sibling ages out of foster care. It is not uncommon for foster children to be separated in foster care. In some areas, foster siblings can find themselves separated by a number of miles making visits difficult and more likely not to happen.

In these situations, siblings are the only family that these foster children may have. A lot... more

When children come into foster care, many times siblings will be separated for any number of reasons. This can be a very hard thing for children to deal with, since they are already losing the connection to everything that they know. It is very important for the siblings to feel connected and remain in contact with each other. Foster parents are the key to helping their child maintain this bond.

Below are ways to help your foster child with his or her sibling relationships.

Providing a sibling visit at least once a month is the foundation of continuing their relationship. Do not have it at the same place each time. A local park, museums (some can even be free of charge),... more

A week long camp named Camp to Belong has a goal unify siblings separated by adoption placement, relative care, or foster home placements. Siblings come together to share their lives, make new lasting memories and continue their lifetime bond of being siblings. They get to experience new things together such as horseback riding, rafting, swimming, wall climbing and camping out. What a wonderful way for siblings to be able to come together and reconnect even if it is just a short time. The camp also has therapy -like classes to help the children to learn to cope with being separated and a Therapeutic Art Program.

For older children... more

We all know siblings share an incredible bond and a special relationship. When a sibling group comes into the foster care system, that connection can be a huge security for them. A child that is losing what family they may have had before coming into care will need to have the important connection with his or her siblings.

There may be cases that siblings cannot be placed together for any number of reasons but the sibling relationship should remain intact. Sadly it is out of the foster child’s control if or when he or she will have contact with his or her siblings. Maintaining a relationship between siblings may not be on the top of the list for the caseworkers. So, the foster parents... more

Another difficult case in foster care and the reality of siblings getting adopted involved four brothers. Each boy had his own difficulties with different degrees of mental retardation, and severe behavior problems with violence, aggression, autism, speech impairment, and so many more issues. All the boys were in a therapeutic foster home, two separate homes, three boys were moderate care and one boy was specialized care. The boys had not lived together since the youngest boy was born (boy’s ages: 3, 4, 6, 7) because the older boys were harming the younger ones. The goal was to reunite these brothers in an adoption placement. There were some people involved that had great concerns with placing... more

Most of the children in foster care have at least one sibling and a lot of siblings are not placed together. There are legitimate reasons for why some siblings cannot be placed together. Safety for both children can be an issue. There are cases that children do abuse each other, and the only choice is to separate them. The reality is that some sibling relationships cannot be a normal loving sibling bond. Usually the foster home already has foster children living there, so foster homes may not have the openings for a large sibling group. It is also easier to find placements quicker in emergency placements when they are looking for a smaller sibling group or individuals. The system can only... more