A safe placement should not make a child's other important relationships disappear.
Kinship care works best when adults consider not only where the child lives, but also which safe family, sibling, cultural and community connections remain important to identity and stability.
Part of our Trauma, Grief & Behaviour resource series. See the main Trauma, Grief & Behaviour guide for the wider topic and related resources.
Information reviewed September 2026. Laws, policies and service processes can change, so use the linked official source when a current rule matters.
Placement does not erase the child's family relationships.
PEI's child-protection legislation expressly includes relationships with parents, other family members and significant people among the child's best-interest factors. It also recognizes continuity, stability, the child's views and cultural, linguistic and religious heritage.
PEI Child, Youth and Family Services Act
Sibling relationships deserve their own plan.
If siblings cannot live together, do not assume occasional contact will happen automatically. Decide who arranges contact, how often it is reviewed, what transportation is needed and how children can stay connected safely between visits.
PEI Adoption Services says sibling groups are prioritized for placement together when possible and encourages continuing sibling contact when siblings are placed in different adoptive homes.
Important adults can have different roles.
Placement
A person may be able to provide full-time or temporary care.
Connection
A person may offer safe contact, family history, culture, identity or emotional support.
Practical help
A person may help with transportation, respite, activities or maintaining sibling relationships.
Parent contact should be child-focused.
When contact with a parent is permitted, the plan should be clear about schedule, supervision, transportation, cancellations, communication between adults and what happens if the child becomes distressed. The child should not be used to deliver messages between the caregiver and parent.
Parent and family contact guide
Culture and language are relationships too.
Maintaining cultural, linguistic, spiritual and community connection can be part of a child's identity even when the child is not living with a parent. For Mi'kmaq children, community and family connection should be approached with Mi'kmaq-led organizations and the child's First Nation where appropriate.
Ask the child who matters.
Adults may overlook a half-sibling, cousin, former caregiver, family friend or community member who is highly significant to the child. Kin mapping should begin with the child's lived relationships, not only the adults' family tree.
Family & Kin Network Map
Map important relationships and practical roles, then assign follow-up.
Download network mapIdentifying and engaging kin
Build the child's network before deciding what role each person can safely play.
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