Foster and adoption homes are needed for sibling groups, school age children

By Lori Feeney

MANSFIELD -- Brothers and sisters have a right to grow up together in the same household.

 Children in school have the same right to a safe home as a new infant.

 These sibling groups and school age children are at the forefront of efforts by the Richland County Children Services placement division during National Adoption Month.

 But the need for foster (and adoptive) homes for these groups transcends any month-long boundary. In fact, it’s an “all day, every day” need here in Richland County. We are constantly searching for prospective foster homes willing to accept sibling groups and/or school age children.

 Earlier this month, Richland County Children Services had 46 children its custody, a low number for a county this size. But of those 46, half (23) belong to sibling groups. And 68 percent (31) are 6 years old or older – school age children.

 Maintaining and supporting sibling relationships is essential to the healthy development and wellbeing of all children. It’s critically important when children are placed in out-of-home care.

 When children experience parental losses, neglect and/or abuse, they often depend on one another to survive. In the absence of strong parental care, children often turn to siblings for support, creating strong bonds among brothers and sisters.

 Being with siblings in an out-of-home placement helps mitigate the impact of separation and losses and often offers continuity, support and a sense of safety and security for the children.

 The simple fact is children experience better permanency outcomes when placed with their siblings.  These include greater placement stability, fewer emotional/behavioral difficulties, fewer placements and fewer days in placement.

 Placing siblings together allows them to preserve their connections with one another and to their families.  This results in improving long-term safety, wellbeing and permanency, whether the ultimate plan is reunification, adoption or placement with relatives or significant others.

 Those are all reasons why Congress approved the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008.  Part of the law requires agencies such as Children Services to make reasonable efforts to place siblings removed from their home in the same foster care, adoption or guardianship placement.

 It also requires agencies to facilitate frequent visitation or ongoing interactions for siblings who cannot be placed together.

 As an agency, we understand many prospective foster parents are primarily interested in younger children, especially foster-to-adopt parents. It’s an easier transition for the child (and perhaps the family) to make.

 But that doesn’t make the need any less for caring adults to provide temporary or permanent homes for school age children who need to be placed in a safer environment.

 It’s important to remember these children are in foster care through no fault of their own. They are the victims of abuse, neglect, or abandonment. Perhaps they can never be safely reunited with their biological families and greatly need -- and deserve -- a forever home of their own.

 And the simple fact is you do not have to be wealthy, married, or own a home to become a foster parent or adopt a child. You do need a commitment to parent and a capacity to love.

 Richland County Children Services is here 24/7 to train and assist prospective foster parents. We offer free classes that provide all the training a foster parent needs to become licensed by the state of Ohio. We will then work with the foster parents to match them with the right children. We will also help foster-to-adopt parents through the complete adoption process.

 If you are interested, please contact our agency at 419-774-4100 and ask to speak with someone in the placement division. You can also learn more about foster parenting by visiting our agency Web site at www.richlandcountychildrenservices.org.

 (Lori Feeney is a Malabar High School graduate and has earned a  master’s degree in social work. She has worked for Richland County Children Services for 25 years and is currently the placement program supervisor, in charge of foster care and adoption.)