Transportation can often be the biggest barrier to sibling visits. Provide transportation options and reimburse caregivers for transportation costs to make it easier for siblings to visit more often.

How to do this

Provide direct transportation services. For older youth who can use transit on their own, provide taxis, ride-shares, and public transit fare. Investigate transportation options for younger children and youth. This could include dedicated department employees, department-run transportation services, or third-party services.

Reimburse and incentivize caregiver transportation. Make sure that sibling visits count for existing caregiver transportation reimbursement. Offer higher reimbursement rates or incentive payments for sibling visits. Offer reimbursement to all caregivers of separated siblings, not just licensed foster parents.

This strategy in action

Fairfax County, VA has several 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 children with higher levels of need, the department runs a program with trained, background-checked drivers who can provide transportation. Fairfax County also uses HopSkipDrive.

Nebraska expects foster parents to provide transport for visits within 25 miles and has contracted transportation providers who must have background checks, with taxis available for older youth.

New Hampshire has a Safe Passage transportation program that can be used for sibling transport.

Frederick County, MD uses taxi cabs to transport older children to sibling visits.

Oklahoma and South Carolina provide transportation reimbursement and incentives for sibling visits.

Indiana reimburses licensed foster homes for transportation beyond 120 miles per month, including transport to sibling visits. For unlicensed kin caregivers, it reimburses for all miles traveled for sibling visits.