The benefits of sharing your home by fostering brothers and sisters

Could you share your home by fostering siblings? For Foster with North East partners, keeping brothers and sisters together is a priority and we're always looking for foster carers who can share their homes with sibling groups.

Many of our existing foster carers describe being able to support sibling relationships as one of the most rewarding things they've been able to do.

In this post, we will:

Discuss what happens when siblings move into foster care
Explore the benefits of fostering siblings
Answer frequently asked questions about sibling foster care

Do siblings in foster care stay together?

When siblings come into foster care, it's not ALWAYS possible in every instance for them to stay together. We will always try to find families who can care for groups together, where it is safe to do so. However, complications arising from children's previous care can sometimes mean it's better for siblings to live apart. But in most instances, we will look for a home with a foster family who can meet the needs of each individual in a group.

Our research shows that 60% of homes in the North East have a spare bedroom but fewer homes with multiple spare bedrooms. The partners at Foster with North East are working together to find and support more foster families across the region who can care for brothers and sisters through short-term or long-term foster care.

What is a foster sibling?

A foster sibling is a term that's often used to describe the relationship between children living within foster families. The household may have biological or adopted children of the foster carers living alongside brothers and sisters from the same family who are cared for children. Foster siblings can often build strong bonds and one thing we hear from foster carers over and over again is that their own children have grown up to be more empathetic as a result of being a foster sibling.

Why foster siblings in the North East?

"To me, fostering sibling groups is easier because the children have got each other there, the bond with each other and they can understand each other. There's not many people with a house big enough to look after larger sibling groups, so they can end up getting split up - one here, a couple over there. I would just imagine being split up from my sisters or my grandchildren being split up. How siblings who are split up must feel. It's a lovely thing to be able to keep them together." Lesley

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Supporting sibling bonds

Brothers and sisters are most often our first friends. It's no surprise therefore that sibling relationships can be one the strongest and most cherished relationships for children who become cared for. One of the benefits of maintaining these sibling bonds is that it can help children to retain a sense of belonging, so that their first friends continue through life to become their oldest friends.
See more (Go to Supporting sibling bonds)
Support from siblings

It's difficult to imagine what it's like leaving your home and everything you know. When brothers and sisters move into foster care and it can help knowing they have their sibling by their side.
See more (Go to Support from siblings)
Settling and soothing

Children in foster care can experience a lot of sudden change. First they move home and they might change schools; there's a lot to take in. The continuity and comfort of having a sibling with them at this time of change can help children to settle better in a new environment.
See more (Go to Settling and soothing)

Can siblings share a room in foster homes?

We're often asked if siblings can share a bedroom in foster care and if bunk beds are an option. In some circumstances this may be possible, so it's definitely something to ask about during your assessment period if you'd like to be considered for fostering siblings. Some short-term foster carers are also able to care for a baby alongside older siblings because with some of our partners babies can stay in a cot in the carer's bedroom .

Do I get paid to look after brothers and sisters in the North East?

There isn't a standard fostering allowance for fostering siblings in the North East. However, all the partners in Foster with North East offer at least the government fostering allowance rate. We also offer support and training for the role and you can expect to receive an additional fee for each child in your care.

Could you share your home with sibling groups in foster care?

Is your heart and your home big enough to shape the future of brothers and sisters? We need more foster carers in the North East who can help us prevent sibling separation. Learn what life fostering siblings is like by reading our real-life fostering stories. To explore how to make fostering work for you or ask about requirements for fostering siblings, make an enquiry or call us 0800 917 7771.

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