Assessing Sibling Attachment in the Face of Placement Issues

With the advent of the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 child welfare workers are faced with the task of placing sibling groups in potential adoptive homes shortly after their separation from biological families. At times, the number of children and/or their special needs present arguments against the conventional wisdom of maintaining the sibling group intact. This paper presents guidelines in the assessment of sibling attachment and in the decision-making process regarding placement.