CYP Now - Thousands of siblings split up in the care system

The findings from Dame Rachel De Souza's report bring home a cold, hard reality, as the latest figures show that one in three children are separated from their siblings when they come into care.

Richard Cross is head of assessment and therapy at Five Rivers Child Care. Picture: Five Rivers Child Care

The report signals that a practical, resource-based decision-making process is taking the place of the relational, child-centred approach required to meet the needs of children in care.

Reading the report, I was struck by how the key factors determining whether siblings stay together (gender, age, location, disability and size of sibling group) are entirely outside the children's control. Yet, they are clear determinants of their future.

International research indisputably illustrates that protecting sibling relationships provides better outcomes. Siblings who stay together are more likely to have stable placements, meaning they can rebuild trust in adults and go on to develop healthy relationships. When siblings stay together, they experience fewer emotional and behavioural difficulties, have improved mental health and do better at school.

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