Adult siblings are often prevented from visiting their younger siblings in care by unnecessary restrictions. This is especially frustrating for siblings who have just aged out of foster care themselves. Let foster parents make simple decisions about sibling visits without requiring agency approval for every interaction.

How to do this

Review and remove requirements that you don’t need. Check if your system requires court petitions, background checks, or social worker approval for familiar adult siblings to visit. Some evaluation, like a background check, may make sense if the adult sibling is new to the case, but familiar siblings shouldn't have these requirements.

Let foster parents use their best judgment. Allow foster parents to arrange visits with familiar adult siblings just like they would for any other family relationship, without needing agency approval for each visit.

This strategy in action

Fairfax County, VA does not require background checks for children in care to visit and contact their adult siblings.

Rhode Island treats visits with familiar adult siblings as normal parenting decisions that don't need agency approval.

Frederick County, MD doesn’t require background checks for familiar adult siblings to visit with younger siblings.

Oklahoma treats visits with adult siblings like other relatives with no required background check.