Provide transportation for sibling visits

About this recommendation

Transportation can often be the biggest barrier to sibling visits. Providing options, especially for younger children who can't navigate cabs or public transit on their own, can mean more and easier sibling visits.

How to do this

• Provide taxi, ride sharing, and/or public transit fares for older youth who can use this transit on their own.
• Investigate transportation options for younger youth such as dedicated Department employees, Department-run transportation services, or third-party services like HopSkipDrive.

Anticipated costs and benefits

Who's doing this

4 of 54 states and territories have implemented this recommendation.

• Fairfax County, VA has multiple options for transporting youth to visit their siblings. If a youth is 13 or older, the agency provides funding for a taxi cab. For infants, younger children, and/or children with higher levels of need, the Department runs a program called MV with trained, background-checked drivers who can provide transportation. Fairfax County also uses HopSkipDrive.
• Nebraska expects resource parents to provide transport for visits within 25 miles. It also has a number of contracted transportation providers who must have background checks, and potentially has taxis available for older youth.
• New Hampshire has a Safe Passage transportation program that can be used for sibling transport.
• Frederick County, MD has the ability to use taxi cabs to transport older children to sibling visits.