By DCF Commissioner Angelo McClain
On May 24, I had the honor of joining members of the New England Youth Coalition (NEYC) as we signed the Sibling’s Bill of Rights. The Sibling’s Bill of Rights was developed to recognize the importance and value of sibling relationships and the need for their preservation. The bill’s creation was inspired by stories of youth in foster care from throughout New England. Over the past year, youth and agency leaders from the six New England states have collaborated on the bill, which outlines the rights of foster children. The first principle outlined in the bill states that each foster child in the Commonwealth should be placed with their siblings, whenever possible and appropriate.
The enactment of the Sibling Bill of Rights marks an important milestone in the Department’s ongoing pursuit of improved quality of care for the Commonwealth’s foster youth. The sibling bond is one of the strongest and longest relationships that any of us experience. DCF is deeply committed to honoring that connection and stresses the importance of keeping siblings together in foster care.
I am extremely proud of all of the young men and women who came together to establish the Sibling Bill of Rights, their hard work and dedication. All of their efforts will help guide our ongoing pursuit of better care for the state’s foster youth.
To view the Sibling Bill of Rights, click here: http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/docs/dcf/sibling-bill-of-rights.pdf
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