FOSTER SIBLING RIGHTS
Sibling relationships are often the longest-lasting relationships in a child’s life, yet siblings are frequently separated when children enter foster care. Research and lived experience show that maintaining sibling bonds can provide stability, emotional support, identity, and continuity during an already difficult time. Because of this, both federal and state laws recognize the importance of protecting sibling connections.
At the federal level, the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act requires child welfare agencies to make reasonable efforts to place siblings together in foster care, kinship, guardianship, or adoptive placements whenever it is safe and appropriate. When siblings cannot be placed together, the law requires agencies to provide frequent visitation or ongoing interaction, unless it would be contrary to a child’s safety or well-being.
In addition to federal requirements, many states have their own statutes, policies, and court practices designed to protect sibling relationships. These laws vary widely in how they define siblings, prioritize sibling placements, provide visitation rights, and allow courts to oversee or enforce those protections.
To better understand these protections nationwide, we worked with pro bono attorneys, volunteers, and individuals with lived experience to gather information about sibling connection policies across the country. Below is information compiled by our volunteers in 2025 and 2026.
Please note:
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The summaries include information about laws, policies, and practices that may change over time.
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This material is provided by volunteers for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
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Individuals seeking legal guidance should consult a qualified attorney.
For some states, we currently have rough draft summaries available upon request. For others, we have gathered additional resources, including sample motions, practice notes, and expanded legal research.
This project is collaborative and ongoing. If you notice information that needs to be updated, or if you have additional resources to share, we would welcome your participation in this project.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Sibling Rights in Foster Care
SIBLING RESEARCH
The ABA has an entire toolkit for lawyers covering the research on the benefits of sibling connections. To find social science support for your in-court and out-of-court legal advocacy go to Sibling Relationships are Sacred: Benefits of Sibling Placement and Contact.
STATE LAW SUMMARIES
This list is the result of a deep-dive search across all 50 states, DC, and PR. It serves as a directory of the legal research project on sibling connections for the National Network for Fostering Sibling Connections.
The summaries below provide an overview of topics affecting sibling connections and youth rights such as whether the state has a sibling bill of rights, what the definitions of siblings are in each state and particular policies within each state around placement and visitation rights.
Disclaimer: The following memos provide a general summary of laws related to sibling connections in foster care. These summaries were developed in 2025 and 2026 through a collaborative effort of pro bono attorneys, advocates, and individuals with lived experience as part of the National Network of Fostering Sibling Connections. While efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, laws, regulations, and policies may change, there can be mistakes, and this summary may not reflect the most current legal developments or the full scope of applicable law. This information is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as legal advice, nor does it create an attorney-client relationship. The material should not be relied upon as a substitute for obtaining legal advice from a qualified attorney regarding a specific situation. Individuals seeking guidance about their rights or obligations should consult a licensed attorney or appropriate legal professional in their jurisdiction. If you have updated information, or would like to submit changes please join our efforts and email cathy.krebs@americanbar.org.
Thank you to Cathy Krebs and the Children’s Rights Litigation Committee of the American Bar Association Litigation Section for its support with this project and to the many volunteers, each of whom is acknowledged in the individual memos, for their time and effort in finalizing these summaries.