Care News:Split Up in Care - Life Without Siblings Highlights Need to Boost Foster Care Recruitment

Ashley John-Baptiste’s powerful documentary highlights the long-lasting impact and loss for children in care when they are separated from their siblings, after having already been removed from their familiar surroundings and family.

As adults it is hard for us to begin to comprehend how such a series of losses might affect us as grown-ups let alone the impact it can have on children.

Our experience of working with siblings shows us that there are so many areas that need to be considered; identifying which children have close relationships in large sibling groups and trying to preserve those relationships by keeping them together where possible. 

Keeping on top of regular contact visits so that they are warm and informal occasions and giving children important information about their brothers and sisters while being mindful of everyone’s responsibilities to keep children safe and protect their right to privacy. This is particularly important when there is an age gap between siblings as one child might be going out and testing boundaries, while the younger sibling needs to focus on building friendships and school-based learning.

It's important that we work with people who are skilled in working with family groups, have strong communication skills to talk to and work with children of different ages, needing different outcomes planned, whilst preserving all that is good in their sibling relationships.

Brothers and sisters should be placed in foster homes together where they can be, but sadly despite everyone’s best efforts, this isn’t always possible.

The increase in the number of children coming into care, the complexity of their needs and the shortage of foster families creates the perfect storm where children sometimes have to be separated as there aren't enough homes available for them to stay together. Many homes no longer have sufficient space and enough spare bedrooms to have sibling groups placed when it is a requirement for each child to have their own space.

This can mean that they lose touch with their siblings; the very people who influence their sense of self and identity. This can be very isolating and add greatly to their early traumatic experiences.

We do everything we can to ensure siblings safely stay together and in touch, but sadly this isn’t always possible.

There were some excellent examples in the documentary of innovative, early intervention practice with the aim of supporting families before things reach crisis point. This work is so important to try to keep families together.

There’s a profound and clear message from Ashley’s documentary that I hope will have landed and been heard by all that watched it. Early work with families is crucial and where this doesn’t work, there's a desperate need for more foster carers.

The sad and stark reality is that without more foster families, and specifically carers willing or able to take on siblings, we’re going to continue to see more cases, like Ashley’s, where children are separated. This adds to the complexity and confusion in their early lives and leaves children feeling disconnected and alone during childhood. These feelings can last in adulthood too.

The decision to become a foster carer is a big one. It's a whole lifestyle change and a huge commitment but one that can be so positive, rewarding and life changing. If there were more foster homes available, we would see more sibling groups staying together and holding those strong relationships with one another.

Pamela McConnell is founder of Five Rivers Child Care

Split Up In Care: Life Without Siblings is available to watch on BBC iPlayer

Source:
www.cypnow.co.uk

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