a. In January 2020, the Department of Children and Families established a Youth Council comprising 24 young New Jerseyans with lived experience in the child welfare system.

b. In considering ways to improve the child welfare system, members of the youth council emphasized the importance of maintaining sibling relationships by: keeping siblings together in resource family or congregate care settings, when feasible; placing siblings in close proximity with one another when placing siblings together is not an option; and supporting sibling connections while in out-of-home placement.

c. The Youth Council’s conclusion that maintaining sibling relationships and placing siblings together whenever possible improves child welfare outcomes and counteracts adverse childhood experiences is supported by research and child welfare organizations.

d. Siblings should be supported by the Department of Children and Families in their efforts to maintain relationships with siblings who are not in resource family care or who have not been adopted.

e. Therefore, it is in the best interests of the State to declare that policies and procedures allowing for all siblings in resource family or congregate care settings to be placed together are generally preferred unless such placements are not in the best interests of one or more of the siblings.

L.2023, c.1, s.2.