At Raise the Future, we believe every young person deserves a caring adult by their side. But for many youth in foster care, the most important relationship they have is with their siblings.
About two-thirds of children in foster care have brothers or sisters in the system. Yet between 53–80% are separated from at least one sibling during their time in care. When siblings are separated, youth can lose not only their home, but also the person who knows them best.
Choosing to foster siblings is a powerful way to change that.
Welcoming a sibling group into your home means more than providing safety and stability. It means preserving a shared history, identity, and lifelong connection.
Why Keeping Siblings Together Matters
Fostering siblings can feel like a big step, but the impact can be life-changing.
Greater Placement Stability
Siblings provide built-in emotional support for one another. Having that familiar relationship can help youth adjust more easily to a new home, which often leads to greater placement stability and stronger outcomes for reunification, guardianship, or adoption.
Reducing Additional Trauma
Entering foster care already comes with immense loss, home, routine, and often their parents. Separating siblings can add another layer of trauma. Keeping them together helps preserve one of the few consistent relationships they still have.
Long-term Connection and Belonging
Maintaining sibling relationships helps youth carry their history and identity with them as they grow. These bonds often last a lifetime and provide a foundation for healthy relationships in the future.
Growing Your Family’s Joy
When families welcome siblings, they’re not just adding children to their home; they’re honoring a bond that already exists. Siblings get to share everyday moments, from school events and sports games to holidays and traditions. Those shared experiences help create a sense of belonging.
Support Every Step of the Way
Fostering siblings is a meaningful commitment, and you don’t have to navigate it alone.
At Raise the Future, we support families every step of the way with resources such as mentors, opportunities for family connection, and Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®) training that helps caregivers understand trauma, build trust, and strengthen relationships with youth.
When you choose to foster siblings, you’re doing more than opening your home. You’re protecting one of the most important relationships a young person has.