Can emergency foster carers look after siblings together?

The starting point for a sibling placement is to keep brothers and sisters together where this is safe, suitable and in their best interests. An emergency foster carer may therefore be approved to care for more than one child, but the fostering service and placing authority must assess whether the carer, household and available space can meet each child’s needs.

Sibling relationships can be an important source of reassurance during an emergency move. Remaining together may help children retain a familiar person, share information about their family and manage the uncertainty of entering foster care. However, children who are related may have very different experiences, behaviours and support needs. A placement decision should consider the relationship between the siblings rather than assuming that keeping them together is automatically right.

Before agreeing to the placement, the social worker and fostering service will consider factors such as:

• the children’s ages, routines, communication needs and levels of independence;
• whether the siblings are closely bonded, have a protective relationship or have been living apart;
• any conflict, bullying, distress or safeguarding concerns between them;
• whether either child has additional health, developmental, emotional or behavioural needs;
• the bedroom arrangements and whether the household has suitable space for each child;
• the carer’s experience, skills and ability to supervise and support both children;
• the effect of the placement on everyone already living in the household; and
• practical arrangements such as school, transport, appointments, belongings and family contact.

In an emergency, the information available at the point of placement may be limited. The carer should still receive the essential information needed to make an informed decision, including known risks, medical requirements, immediate routines, contact arrangements and any concerns about the children’s relationship. Further information should be shared as it becomes available, and the placement should be reviewed as professionals learn more about the children.

A carer should not feel obliged to accept a sibling placement simply because keeping the children together is the preferred plan. They should discuss whether they have the right space, capacity, experience and support before agreeing. It is appropriate to ask what is known about each child, how supervision will work, whether the children need separate sleeping arrangements and what help will be available if the household finds the placement difficult.

When siblings are placed together, carers may need to provide individual attention as well as shared routines. This could mean spending time with each child separately, helping them express their views, observing how they interact and making sure one child’s needs do not overshadow the other’s. Clear household boundaries, consistent expectations and private opportunities to speak with a trusted adult can help professionals understand how the arrangement is working.

Keeping siblings together does not mean they must do everything together. Depending on their ages and needs, they may require separate bedtime routines, activities, appointments or conversations with social workers. The carer should record significant changes in behaviour or mood and share concerns with the supervising social worker and the children’s social workers.

If a joint placement becomes unsafe or cannot meet the children’s needs, professionals may consider alternative arrangements. This could involve more intensive support, changes to the practical plan or, where necessary, separate placements. Separation should be handled carefully, with decisions based on safeguarding and welfare rather than convenience. The children’s contact with one another should then be considered and planned wherever it is safe and appropriate.

For prospective emergency foster carers, the key issue is not simply whether they can provide two beds. It is whether they can offer safe care, attention and stability to each child while supporting the sibling relationship. Training, assessment and ongoing supervision help carers understand how to manage placements where children arrive with different needs and limited background information.