U.S. Reps. Zach Nunn (R-IA) and Don Bacon (R-NE) are supporting bipartisan legislation that would ensure siblings in foster care are kept together.
Rep. Nunn on April 29 sponsored House Resolution (H.Res.) 1233 with cosponsors Reps. Bacon and Gwen Moore (D-WI) to recognize April as National Foster Sibling Connection Month. On the same day, Rep. Bacon sponsored the Protecting Sibling Relationships in Foster Care Act, H.R. 8566, alongside cosponsors Reps. Nunn and Moore.
“When brothers and sisters enter foster care, staying together can be the difference between stability and a traumatic disruption in a young life,” said Rep. Nunn, co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth. “I’ve worked with families navigating this system — and the biggest barrier to keeping siblings together isn’t willingness, it’s capacity.”
“This bill funds the foster care models that can actually keep siblings together, and our resolution makes clear that Congress sees this as a priority,” he added.
If enacted, H.R. 8566 would authorize $10 million over five years for a pilot program within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to develop and expand foster care models that prioritize keeping siblings together.
“Keeping siblings together in the foster care system significantly increases their chance of having positive life outcomes,” said Rep. Bacon, also a co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth. “As a foster-to-adoptive parent of a sibling group, this bipartisan foster care package helps address the unique challenges faced by families caring for sibling groups with large numbers, wide age ranges, and complex needs. We have a responsibility to support children in foster care with stable, loving homes that keep families connected.”
The bill would establish a competitive grant program for state, tribal, local, faith-based, and nonprofit organizations to develop and expand foster care models that prioritize sibling placement.
H.R. 8566 also would support specialized placements for the most complex cases, including large sibling groups, wide age ranges, and children with complex needs, and require grantees to collect and report data on placement outcomes to strengthen child welfare practices nationwide.
The companion H.Res. 1233 would call on federal, state, tribal, and local agencies to prioritize joint placement and improve data collection on sibling separation. The resolution seeks to reduce trauma and support long-term emotional stability for youth in and after the foster care system, according to the lawmakers.
Both measures are under consideration by the U.S. House Education and the Workforce Committee.