When Buzz Lightyear, Spiderman, and Frozen’s Elsa ring your doorbell, you’d better hope it’s Halloween!  For the children at A Kid’s Place, this annual event provides a chance for them to simply be a kid and participate in the age-old tradition of trick or treating.  This fall our kids were able to enjoy on-site activities, a celebration with USF’s sororities, and Trunk or Treating at a local church.  On Halloween evening, they visited nearby neighborhoods to enjoy the thrill of collecting candy and bringing home their treasures.
Something that really stood out this year was the companionship between siblings as they trekked through the dark streets from house to house.  “Be careful,” one brother warned his sister as she navigated her long gown over uneven sidewalks.  “Here, I got a Butterfinger for you,” another told his brother.  
Sometimes, your brothers and sisters are the only family you can count on.  Being separated from your parents is hard enough, but your siblings are your comfort, your confidants, and your support.  It never ceases to amaze us to see the bond these siblings share, whether it’s the first night they spend at A Kid’s Place when they ask to snuggle together in the same bed or watching them advocate for their sibling (“Blake needs more ketchup…Jayla says her nightgown itches…can Ben play X-Box with us?”)
For siblings in foster care, the bond they share may be the only stability they have.  Much like branches on a tree, brothers and sisters grow in different directions.  But their roots.. the bond they’ve formed since birth…these roots remain as one.  No matter where the branches may take them, the roots will remain and the siblings will always be a special part of each other.
 

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