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HB 1533

Siblings Placed in Out-of-home Care

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Anna Eskamani and 3 co-sponsors

Florida bill requiring foster care agencies to place separated siblings together and maintain contact, died in subcommittee without passage.

Died in Human Services Subcommittee
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Bill Summary · HB 1533

Legislative bill overview

HB 1533 would have required Florida's Department of Children and Families to make reasonable efforts to place siblings together when they enter out-of-home care, and to maintain sibling contact when separation occurs. The bill also would have mandated documentation of placement decisions and created a process for siblings to petition for reunification.

Why is this important

Research consistently shows that maintaining sibling relationships during foster care improves children's emotional stability, reduces behavioral problems, and facilitates easier family reunification. Currently, Florida has no specific statutory requirement prioritizing sibling placement together, leaving such decisions to case-by-case discretion.

Potential points of contention

  • Implementation costs: Requiring sibling placements may necessitate additional funding for larger foster homes or kinship care resources, raising budget concerns
  • Placement flexibility: Prioritizing sibling placement could limit caseworkers' ability to match individual children with specialized care needs (trauma-informed homes, medical expertise, etc.)
  • Foster home availability: Insufficient foster homes willing to accept sibling groups could create longer time in temporary placement or reduce placement options overall

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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