“They share a biological connection, memories, and experiences that no one else can understand. Having someone who looks like them and understands their family culture helps them feel safe, comfortable, and connected more quickly. It gives them a sense of belonging like nothing else can.” Catherine Leake, Saint Francis Ministries foster/adoptive parent
Most of us have siblings. It’s estimated that about 80 percent of us have sisters and brothers, so it seems sensible to celebrate them today on National Siblings Day. No one knows us like our siblings. We share a history and a host of experiences from the day we’re born. Our sisters and brothers ground us and make us feel connected. They often represent the longest-lasting relationships of our lives.
This is especially true for siblings in foster care.
For any child, removal from their home is both disruptive and traumatic. It’s difficult enough to be separated from parents, but losing contact with siblings adds to the distress. Siblings in foster care share an identity, and the bond between them provides a powerful source of comfort and stability, especially during difficult times like out-of-home placement.
Don’t take our word for it, though. Special education teacher Catherine Leake has fostered dozens of sibling sets and adopted three sets of two siblings during her 15 years as a foster care provider. As Catherine can attest, adapting to foster care can be challenging for children. Yet living with siblings in foster care can act as a safeguard, mitigating the trauma and negative effects inherent in the situation.
That’s why Saint Francis Ministries is looking for foster parents willing to accept sibling placements.
When sisters and brothers are placed together, everyone benefits:
- Siblings offer one another emotional support.
- Sibling relationships provide a sense of normalcy for children in care.
- Siblings placed together exhibit fewer emotional and behavioral challenges.
- Siblings residing in the same home perform better in school, maintain more stable placements, and adjust more easily to new environments.
Fostering siblings has enriched Catherine’s life, and it could enrich yours as well.
“I just feel like it’s so worth it, to give them a chance to stay with their siblings, to feel secure in that one stable relationship. Sure, it might be inconvenient for some, but if you can live
with a little inconvenience for six months or so, you can heal a child’s life for the next 40 years.”
Is there room in your life to foster siblings in care? If so, check out our Foster Care page to get started.
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