Teens Experiencing Foster Care Belong with Siblings
At NYAP, every day we witness the deep challenges children and youth face when they enter foster care, and one of the most heartbreaking is the separation of siblings. For many children and youth, brothers and sisters are their anchors. They share memories of childhood, bedtime whispers, and a strong bond. Yet too often, when a family can no longer safely stay together, siblings are split apart, teens sent to shelters or group homes while their younger brothers and sisters are placed with foster families.
The need for foster homes remains significant, especially for teens who should remain with their siblings. The vast majority of children and youth do not enter care because of something they did, but because of circumstances beyond their control, such as abuse and neglect, that result in them needing a safe place to stay while their families work through their challenges. Removal from family is already a loss for children and youth, and when they are also separated from their siblings, the wounds deepen. In the United States, research tells us that up to 65% of siblings experiencing foster care are separated, leaving teens in particular to carry the heavy burden of grief, isolation, and fear of being forgotten.
The reality is that teens face an uphill battle in finding foster homes. Too often, teens are labeled as “difficult” or “troubled,” when in truth they are young people longing for stability, safety, and who have an inherent need to protect their siblings in situations that feel out of their control. In these cases, teens have already taken on the role of caregiver for their younger siblings, tucking them in at night, protecting them from harm, and becoming their fiercest advocates. Losing that daily connection is more than unfair; it is devastating.
At NYAP, we believe every young person, regardless of their age, deserves a safe, supportive, and nurturing home. That’s why we advocate for siblings to stay together, knowing that their relationships are lifelines for better mental health, healing, and hope. We equip foster families with training, resources, funds for care, and 24/7 support so they feel supported and confident in their journey.
Could you become a foster family for a sibling group?
Requirements for Fostering a Large Sibling Group
Opening your home to a sibling group is one of the most impactful ways to keep children and youth together and provide them with the comfort of family while they heal. To ensure safety and stability, foster parents must meet a few key requirements:
Bedroom Space Requirements: Each child or youth must have adequate sleeping space. Children and youth of the same gender can generally share a bedroom, but states often have size-specific requirements.
Transportation: Families fostering sibling groups need reliable transportation that accommodates everyone safely. This often means a van or a third-row vehicle to ensure siblings can travel together.
Financial Support: Foster parents are not expected to do this alone. Funds are provided for care, helping families cover costs such as food, clothing, school supplies, and other daily needs of children and youth living in their home.
A Strong Support System: Raising a sibling group requires more than just space and transportation. Foster parents benefit greatly from having a strong support system of family, friends, and community members who can provide encouragement, respite, and practical help along the way. No one will understand your life better than other foster parents who also foster sibling groups. NYAP can introduce you to other local foster families who can help mentor you.
Patience and Flexibility: Parenting multiple children and youth, especially those who have experienced trauma, requires patience, flexibility, and a nurturing spirit.
Training and Support: NYAP provides specialized training and ongoing support to foster families caring for sibling groups so they can feel prepared and confident in their role.
Open-Minded Approach to Discipline: Discipline and teaching will NOT look the same as the way you were disciplined as a child or even how you would discipline your own children. Every foster parent must be open to learning and seeing behavior through the lens of the trauma that each child or youth has endured. We will equip you with the education and tools you need to be successful.
Support Reunification: Families belong together. When safety concerns can be remedied, our foster parents must support reunification and often become part of the natural support network for the parents of the children and youth they foster. When a mentoring and supportive relationship can be formed with primary families, they are less likely to need foster care services in the future.
By meeting these requirements, foster families can help ensure that siblings stay together, preserving the bonds that provide children and youth with strength, stability, and hope.
If you have ever thought about fostering, we ask you to open your heart to a teenager, especially one who longs to remain with their brothers and sisters. One caring adult can mean the difference between a teen feeling abandoned or part of a caring family where they feel seen, valued, and loved.
At NYAP, we believe in every child and youth’s potential. Together, we can ensure that no teen is left overlooked, and that brothers and sisters experiencing foster care can grow, heal, and thrive side by side.