Most children who are removed from their homes by social services have siblings. Yet, siblinghood is an unnoticed and understudied field of interest. Professionals lack a framework for addressing this common issue in out-of-home placement decision-making and caregiving. The current study examined how professionals in family group homes in Israel perceive and approach sibling bonds, as well as the main barriers and benefits they identify regarding siblinghood among children in out-of-home placements. Five focus groups were held with 34 professionals, and a thematic analysis was conducted. The participants identified siblings as a source of support, comfort and security to one another. On the other hand, they worried about the sibling bond inhibiting a child's development. They also revealed two approaches regarding the role of out-of-home placements: a space for individual development versus a transition station in the child's and family's life journey. They also referred to the uniqueness of every sibling group and, hence, the significant weight of professional intuition in decision-making processes. The discussion addresses the challenges of intuitive decision-making in cases of siblings in out-of-home placements and stresses the need for more informed decision-making processes.

中文翻译：

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不稳定的锚还是发展的抑制剂？以色列家庭团体之家对兄弟姐妹情谊的专业看法

大多数被社会服务机构带离家门的儿童都有兄弟姐妹。然而，兄弟姐妹关系是一个未被注意到和研究不足的领域。专业人员缺乏解决家庭外安置决策和护理中这一常见问题的框架。目前的研究调查了以色列家庭团体之家的专业人员如何看待和处理兄弟姐妹关系，以及他们发现的关于户外安置儿童兄弟姐妹关系的主要障碍和好处。召开了 5 场焦点小组会议，共有 34 名专业人士参加，并进行了主题分析。参与者认为兄弟姐妹是彼此支持、安慰和安全的来源。另一方面，他们担心兄弟姐妹的关系会抑制孩子的发展。他们还揭示了关于户外安置作用的两种方法：个人发展的空间与儿童和家庭人生旅程的过渡站。他们还提到了每个兄弟群体的独特性，因此专业直觉在决策过程中的重要性。讨论解决了兄弟姐妹在户外安置情况下直觉决策的挑战，并强调需要更明智的决策过程。