PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Shafi, R. M. A.
AU  - Pease, Eric R.
AU  - Romanowicz, Magdalena
AU  - Baker, Megan
AU  - Wakefield, Sarah
AU  - Morgan, Wynne S.
AU  - Dell, Mary Lynn
TI  - The Importance of Sibling Relationships for Children in Foster Care
AID  - 10.29158/JAAPL.230029-23
DP  - 2023 Jun 01
TA  - Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online
PG  - 255--262
VI  - 51
IP  - 2
4099  - http://jaapl.org/content/51/2/255.short
4100  - http://jaapl.org/content/51/2/255.full
SO  - J Am Acad Psychiatry Law2023 Jun 01; 51
AB  - There are approximately 500,000 children in the foster care system in the United States of America. With exposure to chronic and cumulative trauma, they constitute a population with an increased risk of developing mental health concerns and adverse outcomes in later life, including contact with the forensic system. Legislative frameworks that have been developed to facilitate improved outcomes are outlined, although these vary between states, and the focus is often on the parental relationship. Several studies have emphasized the importance of sibling relationships and that placing siblings in the same foster home is associated with higher rates of placement stability, reunification, adoption and guardianship, and fostering positive sibling relations. The multifaceted role of the clinician in promoting recovery from trauma, enhancing resiliency, and thoughtfully prescribing and advocating for familial relationships is discussed.