Fostering siblings means helping brothers and sisters stay together in a safe, caring home. Where it is safe and appropriate, living together can provide familiarity, emotional support and a continuing sense of family during a period of major change. New Chapters supports foster carers with training, professional guidance, therapeutic input and ongoing practical help.
Children enter foster care for many different reasons. Some sibling groups cannot safely return to their birth families, and adoption may not be the right plan for their long-term needs. In these situations, foster care can provide stability while helping brothers and sisters maintain important family relationships.
Research into sibling placements and stability. A study of 2,297 children entering foster care found that children placed with at least one sibling were less likely to experience a placement move, particularly a move caused by problems or negative experiences in the foster home. The researchers also noted that the relationship was more complex for larger sibling groups, reinforcing the need for careful assessment and matching. Read the Font and Kim study.
Keeping siblings together in foster care can support emotional wellbeing, stability and development. Across Shrewsbury, Telford, Staffordshire, Wolverhampton and the wider West Midlands, there is a continued need for foster carers who can offer safe, nurturing homes for sibling groups.
For children entering care, change can feel overwhelming. A brother or sister may be the person who understands their history best and can offer comfort, familiarity and reassurance during a difficult time.
In practice, this can be as simple as a younger child settling more easily at bedtime because an older brother or sister is nearby, or siblings finding reassurance in familiar routines such as walking into school together, sharing family meals or celebrating birthdays in the same home. These small moments matter because they can help children feel that, although much has changed, the people who know their story best have not disappeared from their lives.
“Fostering a sibling group can be challenging at times, but it is one of the most rewarding stories to be part of. We have welcomed several sibling groups through our doors over the years. Imagine moving into a new home, away from everything you have ever known, to live with people you do not know. Are they safe? It must be such a frightening time, but at least the children are embarking on that new journey together. We have seen the magic of children loving and supporting one another through some of the hardest times in their lives. It is truly inspiring.”
For many children entering care, siblings provide shared memories, familiar routines and a continuing sense of identity. Keeping brothers and sisters together, where it is safe and appropriate, can reduce the further distress that separation may cause and help children feel more secure. Sibling relationships often continue into adulthood, making them an important part of a child’s family history and sense of belonging.
What the wider research says. An international research review published in Children and Youth Services Review found that sibling placements can help preserve identity and family connections. It also highlighted the importance of sibling relationships as some of the longest-lasting family relationships in a person’s life. The Rees Centre’s later international literature review similarly found that children placed together tended to experience greater placement stability, although the evidence was not uniform across every study and outcomes depended on the circumstances and needs of each sibling group. Read the Rees Centre review.
“We have fostered a sibling group for more than ten years, and we believe that staying together has given them a greater sense of security. When siblings remain together, they are less likely to worry about each other’s wellbeing or feel they are missing out on shared experiences. Having one another has allowed them to navigate their journey together, much like any other group of brothers and sisters.”
Many experienced foster carers find strong fulfilment in supporting sibling groups. Every placement is different, but carers often value seeing brothers and sisters reassure one another, settle into family life and build positive memories in a safe home.
Although the idea of fostering more than one child may feel challenging, siblings already know one another’s routines, habits and personalities. They may be able to support each other through the transition into foster care, and shared arrangements can sometimes make aspects of everyday family life feel more connected.
That does not mean fostering siblings is simple. Each child needs individual attention, space and support, and siblings may have different schools, appointments, contact arrangements or therapeutic needs. The role requires patience, organisation and an understanding of both the individual children and the relationships between them.
You can learn more about the roles and responsibilities of a foster carer and the different types of fostering available through New Chapters.
Every sibling group should be considered carefully. Some brothers and sisters thrive when placed together, while others may need additional therapeutic support or, in a smaller number of cases, carefully planned separate placements where this is in a child’s best interests. Good fostering practice is not about assuming that one approach fits every family. It means listening to each child, understanding the relationship between siblings and building a support plan around their individual and shared needs
The scale of sibling separation. The Children’s Commissioner for England estimated that 37% of children with a sibling, around 20,000 children, were separated from at least one sibling when placed in care. The report highlighted the emotional connection, shared experiences, mutual support and enduring relationships that brothers and sisters may provide. Read Siblings in Care. Research in Practice has also examined why brothers and sisters are not always placed together and why recruiting carers with the space and skills to support sibling groups remains important.
Current legal context. The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 strengthens the legal framework around sibling contact for children in care. From autumn 2026, local authorities are expected to allow reasonable contact between children in care and their siblings where it is in the children’s best interests. This reinforces the importance of preserving sibling relationships, whether children live together or need support to remain connected.
Foster carers are supported throughout their journey. New Chapters Fostercare offers training, professional advice and ongoing guidance to help carers understand and respond to the needs of sibling groups.
Support includes a dedicated social worker and regular supervision, ongoing specialist training, family support workers, therapeutic guidance from the Head of Therapy, peer support and access to a named member of staff outside normal office hours. The aim is not simply to place children together, but to help carers understand sibling dynamics, respond to trauma, manage family routines and create a home where each child is seen as an individual as well as part of a sibling group.
Read more about support and training for foster carers and foster care pay and allowances at New Chapters.
There can be a real sense of reward in watching siblings grow up together, share birthdays and milestones and enjoy everyday family life. As a foster carer, you are doing more than providing a safe place to stay; you are helping siblings preserve a vital family connection.
“When siblings can safely remain together, foster carers are not only offering stability; they are protecting a relationship that may last long after professional involvement has ended. That is why thoughtful matching, honest assessment and ongoing support are so important.”
If you are considering fostering in Shropshire, Staffordshire or the wider West Midlands, supporting a sibling group could make a meaningful difference to children who need stability and connection. It can help them stay close to people who matter deeply to them while giving them a safe and caring home.
Fostering siblings requires time, space, patience and the right support. You do not need to make an immediate decision. New Chapters can talk you through the assessment process, practical requirements, training, matching, support and financial arrangements so that you can decide whether it may be right for your household.
Speak to New Chapters for an informal conversation about becoming a foster carer. Start your fostering journey
By Craig Walton, Strategic Director at New Chapters Fostercare
Craig has extensive experience in child protection and fostering and has witnessed time and again how quality care enables children to recover, feel safe and form lasting relationships. In his work with foster carers and professional networks across Shropshire, Staffordshire and the wider West Midlands, he has seen how sibling placements can reduce anxiety for children who are already coping with major change. He is passionate about recruiting and supporting foster carers with the skills, space and resilience to provide this care, a role he finds both motivating and deeply rewarding.
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