My name is [Matthew], and this petition is due to my experience. When my younger sister was put in social care, I tried to establish a relationship with her but still, to this day, have not been able to do so in a meaningful way. I have also tried reaching out to social services for support, but unfortunately, they have not been responsive, and so I feel powerless and isolated. Even the courts are ineffective in helping adult siblings who want to connect with younger siblings in care.

This is not only my story; many other siblings across the country who are separated by the system also experience this. The social care system needs reform to protect sibling relationships that every child in care should be entitled to.

Why Is This Important? 

Sibling ties are perhaps the most meaningful of all relationships. Studies show that strong sibling relationships can serve as protective factors in children's emotional development by mitigating the adverse impacts of traumas and aiding in the resilience of children who are placed in foster care or adopted (Source: Child Development Perspectives, 2018). 

Nonetheless, social care policies and practices today continue to overlook most sibling relationships, thus rendering many children who are in care unable to interact or meet with their siblings—and some, even at all. Willing adult siblings who want to stay in touch with their younger brothers or sisters often face bureaucratic hurdles, ambiguity regarding their legal status, and support from social work personnel.

What Needs to Change?

We ask legislators and relevant government representatives to pass an effective law that guarantees key sibling bonds in the social care systems. Specifically, we demand:

A Legal Right to Contact: Allow siblings, especially adult siblings, to retain regular contact with younger siblings in care, except where the contact is deemed harmful.

Clearer Social Service Guidelines: Mandate social services to contact and assist siblings, including setting protocols that families can easily follow.

Judicial Support for Sibling Relationships: Provides caregivers with the ability to consider sibling bonds in contact orders and placement decisions.

Improved Oversight and Accountability: Local authorities should be more accountable for new regulations and actively prepare contacts, which will fortify sibling relationships.

What Actions Can You Take Regarding This Issue? 

As you can imagine, this is a concern for many families nationwide. When you sign this petition, you advocate for siblings who have been needlessly separated due to a system that doesn't consider their relationships. No child should need to bear the pain of a sibling loss simply because a system's legal framework overlooks the significance of that bond. 

With this, we can work towards influencing systems and not letting children in the care system appear uncherished and unguided by the loving impact siblings can offer. 

Sign this petition so we can do right by the families who have suffered at the hands of the social care system. Stand with us, and let's fight together to protect sibling bonds and ensure no child feels alone and uncared for by the system established to assist them.

Thank you so much for your cooperation.

Sign this petition to safeguard siblings' relationships with each other within the social care system.