One of the hard parts of foster care is that sometimes sibling care and sibling connection does not result in siblings living together.
When Sophia came into care at the age of two, she, her older brother Thomas, and her younger sister Mia were all placed in separate homes.
With support from the foster parents of all the children, they regularly see one another for visits to the park and other outings. After DSS made the initial connection, the foster parents have been able to work together to share time with one another.
There are many benefits to the playdates these children have with one another.
Mia knows her older siblings. As an infant coming into care, she would not have remembered otherwise. Despite changing foster homes, older brother Thomas has continued to have a relationship with his sisters. Sophia loves seeing her siblings and has a connection with people who share her genes and her early life experiences. These siblings love spending time with one another.
As a pre-schooler, Sophia may not understand the lasting significance of her time spent now with Thomas and Mia, but over time, she hopefully will.
Sophia is preparing to be adopted by her foster family!
Theirs will be a multi-racial adoption. Beautiful in its own right, an added strength is the mindset of her adoptive mom. In her own words, “Someday, she will notice that we do not look the same, and she will have family that looks like her.”
One day, Sophia’s relationships with Thomas and Mia will be meaningful to her in a new way, as she navigates being a part of a transracial family.
Every family looks different, and every child wants to belong.
With connections to both her adoptive family and her biological family, Sophia can belong to both. She will carry both parts of her identity as she navigates who she is and who she wants to be.
