Foster carers are incredible people, and those who can provide a home for sibling groups are becoming increasingly in demand. With 80% of the UK’s population having at least one sibling, it is not a surprise that when young people are moved in to foster care, it is often in sibling group.
We want to keep sibling groups together. We want to avoid the distressing situation of splitting brothers and sisters up, who not only have the everyday family bonds you would expect, but who may have also formed additional shared bonds due to experiencing neglect and abuse. Sometimes older siblings may have ‘parented’ the younger ones, who may have delayed development or health issues. As a result, it’s important to maintain this companionship through what can be an emotional and difficult uprooting and reduce feelings of isolation.
Foster carers who can accommodate siblings are needed as there is an urgent, ongoing need for foster carers who have the space and skills necessary to care for a sibling group. Along with providing a room for each child, fostering siblings requires extra time, enthusiasm, and energy to meet the needs of each of the young people.
As part of the Affinity family, we will support you in caring for sibling groups, giving you the training and expertise to succeed in truly make a difference to the lives of the young people as well as allowing the sibling groups to remain together.
Fostering a sibling group, and knowing you are instrumental in keeping a sibling group together, can be incredibly rewarding for any foster carer, but, more importantly, there are huge benefits for the young people too. Here are just some of them:
For most of us, the relationships we have with our brothers and sisters are the longest relationships of our lives. Together siblings share life experiences, create memories, and these relationships help define who we are and where we come from.
We have found that young people who have their siblings with them in foster care tend to experience fewer disruptions in their foster homes. Siblings placed into foster homes together often settle quicker, as they help and support each other to adjust to the situation easier than those who are separated from their siblings.
Sibling relationships can be crucial in the upheaval of moving from home to a foster home, where they can then learn to become children again. Young people / children moving in to foster care from violent or abusive homes often gain the strongest support and sense of security from their siblings, providing protection and drawing emotional comfort from each other.
By providing a home for a sibling group, the positive impact and the positive outcomes for the children as they progress to adulthood cannot be overstated. The beneficial effects of knowing that they will remain with their siblings are far reaching, and includes:
Fostering siblings is both challenging as well as rewarding, you will receive training and support from us as well
The training covers everything relating to caring for and safeguarding a young family, including how parents form relationships with their children.
You’ll also receive frequent visits from your Supervising Social Worker and support from our dedicated Support workers.
Let us know the best time for us to call you and we'll schedule an appointment.
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