Sibling placement in foster care: exploring the context and possibility of sibling separation

Sheppard, Kelly A. (2017) Sibling placement in foster care: exploring the context and possibility of sibling separation. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

Sibling placement in foster care has long been a contentious topic of discussion. The decision or desire to place siblings together when they must enter foster care has been based on policies, procedures, and strong preferences of child welfare agencies. There is much literature and research supporting the practice of placing siblings together; however little empirical research examining the context and possibility of sibling separation as it relates to foster parent and social worker perceptions has been conducted. Research based primarily on mixed methods of quantitative and quantitative aspects was undertaken and a small online survey conducted exploring: the experiences of foster parents caring for sibling groups in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL); the conditions under which separating siblings support the development of each child in the sibling group; and what foster parents and social workers think about separating siblings who are in care in the same home.

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