Movies Portray Sibling Separation In Foster Care

Separation of siblings in foster care happens all too often.  Two made for TV movies shed light on this common practice that often adds additional trauma at a time when young people need the love and familiarity of family the most.

This weekend I watched the GMC movie Raising Izzie.  I love GMC so I set my television reminder so that I would not miss this adoption/foster care story.   GMC was formerly known as Gospel Music Channel and faith/spirituality rather than adoption was the true focus of this tear-jerker.  Fourteen year old Gertrude had been raising her ten year old sister alone for a year after their mother died of cancer.  Because she feared her daughters would be placed in foster care and separated after her death, their mother moved her daughters into a furnished apartment, taught the girls to be independent, and set up a corporation and bank account to provide for their living expenses.  Gertrude paid their rent online, did the grocery shopping and household chores, and signed all school paperwork.  The sisters were never tardy or absent from school and both received straight A’s.  As I watched this fictional film I was reminded of Exavier Pope story shared in my National Foster Care Month blog series.  After the death of his foster mother,  Exavier and his sister cared for themselves and he describes his education as her “one last gift”.  The sisters are eventually adopted by Gertrude’s teacher and lived happily ever after.