Fostering siblings in Scotland

Keeping families together with Aberlour

At Aberlour, we believe that strong family bonds are essential to a child's wellbeing. Fostering siblings means providing a nurturing, stable home for two or more children from the same family, ensuring that the natural support of sibling relationships is maintained during times of crisis and transition. This approach is central not only to our heritage of care but also aligns with the Scottish Government's "The Promise" plan, which commits to ensuring that every child grows up loved, safe, and respected.

What is fostering siblings?

Fostering siblings involves welcoming children from the same family into your home so they can continue to share the comfort, support, and connection that siblings naturally provide. By keeping siblings together, you help minimise the trauma of separation while reinforcing the deep, lasting bonds that contribute to a child's emotional security. This approach directly supports "The Promise" initiative's vision of safeguarding the future of care-experienced children in Scotland.

Considerations for potential siblings foster carers

Embarking on the journey of fostering siblings comes with its unique rewards and challenges:

Home Environment: A nurturing and well-organised home that can comfortably accommodate multiple children is essential. Preparing for the dynamics of a multi-child placement might involve some adjustments, ensuring that every child's personal and collective needs are met.
Emotional Support: Siblings offer each other reassurance and stability during challenging transitions. Fostering siblings means understanding their shared experiences and history while also being attentive to individual needs. This balanced, family-focused care supports and emphasises a holistic approach to the wellbeing of children.
Coordinated Care: The integrated care needs of siblings often necessitate collaboration with educators, healthcare professionals, and specialised services. Aberlour's experienced team, many of whom have dedicated over 20 years to fostering in Scotland, provides ongoing support and guidance to ensure that you are well-equipped for this rewarding role.

How fostering siblings compares to individual placements

Similarities: Like individual placements, fostering siblings focuses on delivering a loving, secure, and stable home environment. The fundamental goal is to help children heal, grow, and thrive regardless of their background.

Differences: Fostering siblings places a strong emphasis on preserving family unity. Unlike individual placements, the multi-child environment requires managing group dynamics and ensuring every child benefits from the collective support of being together. This approach is pivotal to keeping family connections intact, which has been recognised as critical in achieving long-term positive outcomes for care-experienced children.

Why choose to foster siblings?

Opting to foster siblings is an incredibly satisfying way to make a profound difference:

Preserving family unity: By keeping siblings together, you help maintain the familial bonds that are vital for emotional resilience and recovery.
Emotional fulfillment: Supporting an entire family unit not only transforms the lives of children but also brings a deep sense of personal satisfaction. Fostering siblings means you're actively contributing to a more connected and resilient community.
Broader impact: When you foster siblings, you play a vital role in ensuring that children have a stable, ongoing support network. This approach is key to enabling care-experienced children to grow up in secure, consistent environments, a central aim of "The Promise" within Scotland's foster care framework.

Take the next step

If you are inspired by the opportunity to keep families united, Aberlour invites you to explore the rewarding journey of fostering siblings. Enquire today about joining our dedicated team of foster carers and taking a significant step towards creating a brighter future for vulnerable children.