Brothers and sisters who are in separate foster homes can reunite at this summer camp.
By Gail Geraghty
Staff Writer

WATERFORD – Maine will become the nation’s second state to host a Camp to Belong, a nationally acclaimed program dedicated to reuniting siblings placed in separate foster homes.

The weeklong camp will be held Aug. 14-21 at Camp Wigwam for Boys on Bear Pond in Waterford.

“It’s an innovative and very real way to bring siblings who are in separate placements back together to rediscover those sibling bonds,” said Newell Augur, director of public affairs for the state Department of Human Services.

The department invited Camp to Belong founder Lynn Price to consider holding the camp in Maine, Augur said. The nonprofit camp, headquartered in Colorado, is the only one of its kind in the country and has served more than 1,000 foster siblings at camps and reunions since its founding in 1995.

Its purpose is to bring together brothers and sisters who have been separated in foster care and adoption.

Price created the camp out of her experience of learning, at the age of 8, that she had a foster sister living on the other side of town.

“This idea is truly catching on in other states,” said Augur. In addition to the new program in Maine, Camp to Belong recently expanded its summer program to Canada and England.

Price visited DHS staff and other child advocates Friday at the DHS Lewiston office to announce plans for the camp, which will host 80 children.

Making it a priority

The camp’s premise fits well with DHS’ the goal of increasing contact among siblings in foster care, said Karen Westburg, director of the department’s Bureau of Child and Family Services.

“We have made it a priority to keep more siblings, who are in foster care, together,” she said. “Camp to Belong gives us another way to do that, and we are so fortunate to have someone with Lynn’s passion and expertise to help us make this happen.”

Maine’s human services department got high marks in its recent federal review for how well it does placing siblings in foster care together. About 38 percent of all siblings in foster care in Maine are placed together.

But there’s certainly room for improvement, she said, in terms of scheduling visits and keeping up contacts. “That is why we are so excited about Camp to Belong coming to Maine.”

Augur said the total cost for the camp is $100,000, of which $40,000 will be paid by DHS, effectively subsidizing each camper’s fee by $40 per child. Another $25,000 will be raised by donations from businesses and individuals, Augur said.

DHS staff will work with the Youth Leadership Advisory Team, older kids in foster care, on issues such as placing siblings together and increasing contacts. The team is part of the Muskie School for Public Services.

Foster children not in residential programs are given an opportunity to go to a summer camp paid for by DHS funds, he said.

“We’ll be identifying those children who we think would benefit from this kind of service,” Augur said.