MEMBERS OP-EDS

We provided free journalism classes for people with lived experience and they have raised awareness across the country about the long term harms of sibling separations.

Our partnerships with the Imprint News - Youth Voice led to members submitting OpEds explaining their own experiences with sibling connection and disconnection. Below are some of the articles they have written.

These articles are their opinions and do not express the opinions of the organization.

Member OpEd: Sibling Relationships are Being Treated as Optional, And Foster Youth are Paying the Lifelong Price

By Erica Hickey “By valuing sibling relationships as essential and not expendable, we can shift from a system that isolates children to one that helps them heal together.” READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

Member OpEd: My Sister and I Don’t Get Along

By Lakievia Johnson “Research shows just about half of all sibling groups placed into the foster care system are separated. Per my request, my sister and I were separated, but my brother and I stayed together.” READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

Member OpEd: Siblings Belong Together — It’s Time the Foster Care System Recognized This

By Anonymous “We fought so hard to unite our daughter and her brother because we know siblings belong together. We had thought this was clearly expressed in the law as well. We were wrong.” READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

Member OpEd: I Shouldn’t Have Been Separated From My Siblings

By Mary Watson “I began to lose hope, thinking I would never see or talk to them again. Then one day, I decided to try once more, and one of my siblings finally called me back. They told me they had no idea I was searching for them all this time.” READ THE FULL ARTICLE IN THE IMPRINT

Member OpEd: Sibling Separation in Foster Care Makes Us Scared to Report Abuse at Home

By Puppet Mills “When I was separated from my siblings, I worried for their safety. I didn’t cry for my parents when I was gone. I cried for them because I did not know if they were okay and because I was not there to absorb the impact.” READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

Member OpEd: Separated by the System: Siblings in Foster Care Deserve Better

By Naya Taylor “I remember being placed in an adoptive home, and at some point, the visits with my siblings just stopped. My caregiver at the time didn’t honor that relationship, and honestly, it felt like nobody was checking to make sure we stayed in contact.” READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE