When children are taken into the custody of the Department of Children and Families (DCF) because of parental abuse or neglect, their connections to their families and communities are often traumatically interrupted.  For many children and youth in the foster care system, ongoing relationships with their brothers and sisters are a vital source of emotional support as they go through difficult times.  In the video below, participants at Foster Youth Capitol Day 2011, co-sponsored by Connecticut Voices for Children, speak about the importance of nurturing sibling relationships.

Ideally, all children in out-of-home care would be placed together with their siblings unless such placement is not in their best interest.  In situations where placing all members of a sibling group together is impossible, DCF should provide for frequent (at least weekly) visitation to help sustain sibling bonds.

DCF-involved youth, Connecticut Voices for Children, and other children’s rights  advocates are working together to support legislation in 2012 establishing a minimum baseline of on average one visit between siblings per week, unless such frequent visitation is not in the best interest of each sibling.  In addition, the proposed legislation would direct DCF to meet with youth representatives to draft a “Sibling Bill of Rights,” which would be incorporated into DCF policy, shared with all children in DCF care, and presented to the Select Committee on Children for consideration of further legislative action. 

For more information:

• Our fact sheet provides more detail about this proposal. 
• Legislation: Senate Bill 156
• To join this campaign or learn more about the issue, please contact Jake Siegel (jsiegel@ctkidslink.org) or Alexandra Dufresne (adufresne@ctkidslink.org) or call us at (203) 498-4240.