More siblings are available for adoption from foster care or international adoption. What are the unique challenges when adopting siblings? Host Dawn Davenport, Executive Director of Creating a Family, the national infertility & adoption education and support nonprofit, interviews Kimberly Offutt, a social worker at Bethany Christian Services and Erin Q. Nasmyth, a licensed clinical social worker with Hopscotch Adoptions.
Highlights of the show (click to expand)
- Why do we now view it as important to keep siblings together in adoption when possible?
- What are some of the advantages for siblings to being adopted together?
- Is there a concern that siblings will continue to have their strongest bond with each other and won’t attach as readily to the rest in the family?
- Often the oldest child in the sibling group has had the role of caretaker. Is it important to wean this child out of that role? How?
- The reality is that adopting 2 or 3 kids is a lot harder and more work than one child. Any suggestions on how to ease the transition?
- If you have children already in the family, how do you blend the two sets of siblings to form a cohesive family group?
- What type of preparation is common for families considering adopting siblings?
- How to handle when a parent fails to attach to one of the siblings?
- What factors should we consider when looking at a sibling set to see which one would be a good fit for a family already parenting at least one child?
- When is it not in the child’s best interest to be adopted with his or her siblings?
- Tips for Families Adopting Siblings
- How to walk the balance when a child’s social and emotional development differs significantly from his chronological age.
Subscribe to Creating a Family Radio:
- Subscribe, rate, and review in iTunes
- Subscribe to our radio RSS feed
- Subscribe to our blog RSS feed
Image credit: Natashi Jay
This show orginally aired in 2014.