Can foster care houses accommodate sibling groups?

Sibling groups may be placed together in a foster home when the arrangement is assessed as safe, suitable and sustainable for every child. The decision is based on more than the number of bedrooms: fostering professionals consider the children’s ages, development, behaviour, health, relationships and need for individual attention.

Keeping brothers and sisters together

Remaining together can help children retain an important source of familiarity during a difficult period. Siblings may share routines, memories and relationships that provide reassurance, particularly when they are also adjusting to a new household. Where it is in their best interests, the placement plan will normally explore whether they can live together rather than being separated.

However, living together is not automatically the right option. Children may have different needs, levels of vulnerability or behaviours that make a shared placement unsuitable. There may also be concerns about conflict, safeguarding, previous experiences within the family or the effect that one child’s needs could have on another. In these circumstances, separate placements may be considered, while arrangements for safe and appropriate sibling contact can still be planned.

What is considered before placement

• The number of children and their ages.
• Whether each child needs their own room or has an assessed reason to share.
• The children’s daily routines, school arrangements and transport needs.
• Any physical, emotional, medical, educational or behavioural support required.
• How the children relate to one another, including possible conflict or caring responsibilities.
• The impact of the proposed arrangement on other children and adults in the household.
• Whether the foster carers have the time, skills and support needed to meet the group’s needs.
• How introductions, contact with relatives and transitions will be managed.

A fostering assessment looks at the household as a whole. This includes how existing children may respond, how household routines could change and whether everyone understands the practical and emotional demands of caring for more than one child. Foster carers should be involved in these discussions and given enough information to decide whether a proposed placement is right for their household.

How the home may be organised

A sibling placement does not mean that children must spend all their time together. Each child should have opportunities for privacy, quiet time and one-to-one attention. Depending on their ages and needs, this may involve separate sleeping arrangements, individual storage, personal belongings and agreed boundaries around shared spaces. A household may also need to plan separate bedtime routines, study areas, activities or appointments.

For younger children, carers may need to supervise shared play and help them manage disagreements. Older children and teenagers may need greater independence and clear expectations about privacy. The arrangements should be reviewed as the children settle in and as their needs change, rather than treated as fixed from the first day.

Matching and placement planning

Before a placement begins, information about the children and the proposed household is considered through a matching process. This should identify the strengths and possible pressures of the arrangement, as well as the support required. A placement plan sets out practical matters such as routines, education, health appointments, contact, transport, household rules and how concerns will be reported.

Introductions may be arranged where circumstances allow. These give the children and foster carers an opportunity to begin becoming familiar with one another and to identify any issues that need further planning. Emergency placements may allow less preparation, so the plan may develop as more information becomes available.

Support for foster carers

Fostering a sibling group can involve more appointments, communication and coordination than caring for one child. Foster carers receive preparation training and ongoing guidance to help them understand the children’s experiences, manage relationships and respond to behaviour safely. Support may include advice from the fostering team, regular supervision, reviews and access to additional services where a child’s needs require them.

Foster carers should raise concerns early if the household is struggling, a child’s needs have changed or the arrangement no longer appears sustainable. The fostering team can then consider additional support, changes to routines or other actions in line with the children’s welfare and the placement plan.

What this means for someone considering fostering

You do not need to decide in advance that you can care for every sibling group. During the assessment, you can discuss the ages, number of children and types of needs that may be appropriate for your household. Approval is based on your circumstances and capabilities, and each proposed placement is considered separately.

A foster home can therefore accommodate siblings when the arrangement meets the children’s welfare needs and the household can provide consistent care. The key issue is not simply whether children can share a property, but whether they can live there safely, receive individual care and maintain healthy relationships with the support of their foster carers and fostering professionals.