Siblings matter to children in foster care. They provide a source of stability and comfort when everything around them is changing. Whenever it’s safe and appropriate, brothers and sisters are supposed to be placed in homes together. For various reasons, that isn’t always possible. There may not be a home available that could keep all the siblings together. There may be a situation where one child needs a higher level of care or supervision. There can also be a history of abuse between siblings which means it isn’t safe for them to live together any longer. Siblings may have different noncustodial parents who are able to provide care for their own children, but not the siblings of their children. In Nebraska, our data indicates that in 2022 siblings were placed together over 60% of the time. That means there are still a lot of brothers and sisters who are growing up in different homes.
We’d like to help those kids experience normalcy and joy together so they can keep those sibling bonds intact.
We’ve created a Sibling Day Out program by partnering with donors to provide activities tailored to the interests of kids who are nominated and want to participate. We’re hopeful these will be positive connection points not just for the kids, but also for the families raising them. As foster and adoptive parents who have raised kids separated from their siblings, we know how important it is for the families to build relationships with each other. When you’re able to create a friendship or partnership with the family raising your foster or adopted child’s sibling, it’s much easier to help the children have natural relationships. We are excited to help kickstart those relationships for families who may not have had the opportunity or encouragement to make that happen.
But we need help! We’ve been able to pull together a lot of the logistics, but there are still ways to get involved. We currently have two large sibling groups we’re working with and we could use help getting their meals handled while they are participating in fun activities. We’ve got specific gift cards on our Amazon wishlist here or you can donate directly to our Cheddar Up fund, which will allow us to give you a tax deductible receipt. Just let us know you want the money to go to our Sibling Day Out program.
Our Sibling Day Out Amazon List
We’re excited to share with you how these events go as we’re able to get this program up and running! If you’re a Nebraska family that is interested in participating, contact your foster care agency, caseworker or CASA and they can get in touch with us for our nomination form for your family. And if you’re a Nebraska business that would like to partner with us to provide positive experiences for siblings in foster care, we’d love to be in contact!