Policy
Agencies are required to attempt to place siblings in the same placement setting unless it is not in the child's or the siblings' best interest (OAC 5101:2-42-05). When siblings are not placed together agencies must make arrangements for siblings and other family members or individuals to visit or communicate with the child, if it is in the child's best interest (OAC 5101:2-42-92).
To facilitate the placement of siblings in a foster home, ORC § 5103.0317 permits a foster home to care for more than 5 children in order to accommodate a sibling group or the remaining members of a sibling group.
Practice
As previously described, “Family-to-Family” is operating in several Ohio counties. The aim and focus of this initiative is to place children close to home. Sibling groups are more likely to be placed together within their communities. The desired outcome is for families to be serviced and supported closer to home, causing fewer traumas within the family unit and increasing the likelihood of reunification and permanency.
Agencies and managed care entities provide all casework functions, including planning, accessing services, making placement decisions, and working with the family towards reunification. When discussing the management of open cases, some agency staff pointed out that when a case is opened, family conferencing is used to make decisions with the family right from the start. Some agencies utilize a formalized “Family-to-Family” concept where cases are assigned geographically and partnerships are formed with community agencies to develop and implement neighborhood based service plans with families. Community agencies also help recruit foster homes so children can remain in their own communities, schools, and churches to preserve connections.
Changes in Performance and Practice
Many counties utilize Genograms to assist caseworkers with identifying family members during Assessment/Investigation activities. Early identification of relatives or other qualified resources that can care for sibling groups helps ensure siblings are placed together whenever possible. Kinship caregivers tend to show greater interest in caring for and maintaining care of children even when it may be a financial hardship for them. Extended families are less likely to split sibling groups and increased financial and service supports strengthen relative placement alternatives.
As previously mentioned, several Ohio counties use Level of Care tools/protocols to guide placement decisions. Hamilton County has significantly increased local recruitment efforts to locate families who are willing to care for sibling groups. The Utilization Management Unit works with providers and caseworkers to assess the family’s needs and match children with optimal placement providers. The assessment/review process incorporates “sibling groups” as a determining factor in the “matching”
process.
Regional and County Issues
During CPOE Stage 6, some Ohio counties reported an insufficient number of local placement options to provide care for children. While the problem is more visible in larger counties, as they often have more children in out of home care settings, smaller counties also report not having enough foster families.
Many of the smaller counties report tremendous success in converting foster families to “adoptive”
families when youth become available for adoption. While this practice positively impacts permanency outcomes, short term and “emergency” local placement options are often described as insufficient. In addition, some counties report placement options for older youth are particularly lacking.
Evaluation
The following table represents Ohio’s children who were placed in a substitute care setting at the end of CY 2004, CY 2005 and CY 2006. This is a point in time population of children in substitute care.
Children included in the analysis are limited to children placed under PCSA custody (not PCPAs). Over the period under review there was an increase in sibling groups in the same placement. Analysis is somewhat limited as it is unknown whether decisions not to place siblings together were made when considering their “best interests”
Sibling Children in Placements
12/31/2004 12/31/2005 12/31/2006
Children/Groups Children/Groups Children/Groups
All Children in Placements 18,490 18,024 17,631
Number of Sibling Children in Placements 3,395 3,122 2,994
Sibling Children as a % of Total Children 18.4% 17.3% 17.0%
Number of Sibling Children in Same Placements 1,821 1,822 1,901 Sibling Children in Same Placement as a % of
All Sibling Children 53.6% 58.4% 63.5%
Number of Sibling Groups 1,506 1,375 1,316
Number of Sibling Groups in Same Placements 853 851 884
Sibling Groups in Same Placement as a % of All
Sibling Groups 56.6% 61.9% 67.2%
Source: FACSIS database (Data run on 2/7/2008) Strengths and Promising Approaches
Many counties have strengthened matching processes as part of their CPOE Stage 6 Quality Improvement Plans. Efforts include implementing Level of Care protocols, increasing family decision making models, piloting “Family to Family”, developing provider partnerships, and increasing caseworker and family involvement. Assessing sibling groups is a regular “matching” criteria considered by Ohio child welfare agencies when placing children.
Kinship care represents the most desirable out-of-home placement and is the first option for children who cannot live with their parents. It offers the greatest level of stability by allowing children to maintain their sense of belonging and enhances their ability to identify with their family's culture and traditions. Public and private child welfare agencies are encouraged to place children who are unable to remain in their own home, in the home of a suitable relative who has been approved by the PCSA.
Agencies not only seek to place children near home but evaluate early in the assessment process the ability for sibling groups to be placed together. Sibling placements are considered at the beginning of the Intake process and this consideration has shown to be very beneficial to the stability of the children.
Agencies further consider sibling placements with children already in care when another sibling is in need of a substitute care placement.
In some counties the Court collaborates closely with the county. Some courts waive fees for relatives seeking legal custody of child welfare children. Some counties use external companies/marketing firms to increase recruitment efforts.
Barriers
Large sibling groups are harder to place, as well as children that are much older than another sibling.
Some placement resources simply can not accommodate large sibling groups. Placement providers often prefer younger children, limiting options for children more than 10 years of age.
Agencies seek to make a stable placement upon first placement. But in “after hours” and emergency circumstances, sometimes placing siblings in different homes is necessary due to insufficient placement
options. After the emergency passes, agencies re-evaluate placement options to support reunification efforts, sibling connections, and permanency needs. At times, these considerations result in additional placement moves for children.