The National Resource Center for Permanency and Family Connections (NRCPFC) has developed this web-based toolkit to help child welfare agencies better work with siblings in foster care and understand how sibling relationships affect children and youth in care. The toolkit provides an overview of recent research on the developmental and emotional importance of maintaining sibling relationships.
Youth definitions of and views about their siblings, information about the impact of placing siblings together, and characteristics of sibling groups that are most and least likely to be placed together are also included.
The toolkit provides examples of State definitions of “siblings,” as well as a section that discusses provisions in the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 that directly address the needs of siblings.
Through the toolkit’s Organizational Self Study, agencies can identify and assess their strengths and needs. The Practice Components and Resources section is divided into 10 components and covers topics such as:
- Initial decision-making regarding placing siblings together
- Youth voice in sibling placement decision-making
- Sibling visits and contacts
- The court’s role in sibling placements
Click here to view the toolkit.