Adopting
Sibling Groups
Kim Curey, LSW
SASS 505 Adoption:
Practice and Policy
Why Parents Should Consider
Adopting Sibling Groups
Siblings are each other’s constants during
young childhood both as companions and
playmates. Siblings learn to interact with the
outside world through games played and
conversations with each other. At some
point in adolescence, siblings who were
once close may temporarily weaken their
ties when they exert their individuality and
independence.
 The
sibling bond exists in children raised in
“normal” families, but it is even stronger in
children from dysfunctional families. They
have learned from a very early age to
depend on and cooperate with each
other to cope with their common
problems.
 Siblings
who have been separated in
foster care or through adoption have their
emotional burden added to; because
these children have already had to cope
with the separation/loss of their parents,
they must experience the grieving process
all over again if they are then separated
from their siblings. If these children have
experienced abuse and/or neglect at the
hand of their parents, they will often have
stronger ties to each other than to their
natural parents and that makes this
separation even more traumatic.
 The
bond between brothers and sisters is
special. Being/having a sibling is the
longest lasting relationship most people
have. While the bond may change at
different points in a relationship, a person's
journey for personal identity is undeniably
intertwined with their siblings.

Information obtained from: http://adopting.adoption.com/child/sibling-groups.html
http://www.afamilyforeverychild.org

Luis, German, Bryan,
Francisco, Sarah

A Family For Every Child, a nonprofit
organization, was started by Christy ObieBarrett and in 2006, AFFEC was formed
and developed into an organization
focused on finding permanent and loving
adoptive homes for all waiting children.

Heart Gallery Mission: "The mission of Heart
Gallery of America ® Inc. is to facilitate
and utilize the power of photography to
capture the individuality and dignity of
children living in foster care, in order to
advocate for their permanency, raise
public awareness about their needs, and
obtain support to help meet those needs.
An integral part of honoring this mission is
to provide assistance and resources to
Heart Gallery chapters nationwide to help
them achieve parallel goals for the
waiting children they represent.”

430,000 children in foster care in the
United States - Sibling groups available
http://childrenshouseinternational.com

Children’s House
International is a non-profit
international adoption
agency, licensed since 1975.

http://www.youtube.com/w
atch?feature=player_embed
ded&v=yEBz4kTOGSM

11 Countries with children
available for adoption –
including sibling groups.
http://www.noas.com/waiting


Northeast Ohio
Adoption Services
provides adoption and
foster care services to
teens and school-age
children in the child
welfare system by
recruiting, preparing,
and supporting
specialized families.
Sibling groups
available
http://www.childrenawaitingparents.org
 Angela
&
Savannah


Children Awaiting
Parents (CAP) is a
national nonprofit
organization that
recruits adoptive
families for children in
foster care. CAP has
helped bring together
more than 6,000
children and families
over the last 40 years.
Sibling groups
available
http://www.allgodschildren.org


All God’s Children is an
orphan care ministry
dedicated to rescuing and
caring for children around
the world by providing the
shelter, care and love that
every child deserves. There
are many ways you can
join us in providing love
and care to the world’s
most vulnerable children.
Sibling groups available
(domestically and
internationally)
Final Thought
 “Sibling
group adoption is a powerful way
to bless not only the children involved, but
the children you already have in your
home and yourselves as well. That's
because there is nothing so powerful, and
so important than the relationships we
have with our brothers and sisters.”
http://www.international-adoption-facts-and-information.com/sibling_group_adoption.html