Please note: The information provided in this tipsheet is for reference only. It is not intended as a recommendation or endorsement of organizations, news sources, agencies or private businesses, or as a comprehensive resource list.
Based on when you are viewing this tipsheet, the information may not be the most up to date. Please refer to the date this tipsheet was last updated, at the end of the document. You can also access this tipsheet online at hollandbloorview.ca/covid-19-tipsheets
This tipsheet provides a listing of supports, services and ideas for siblings of children with disabilities during the outbreak.
Tips for Parents or Caregivers
- Tips for Supporting Siblings (Holland Bloorview)
- Things to Do If Your Child Has a Sibling in the Hospital During the COVID-19 Pandemic (Nationwide Children’s)
- Supporting Families During COVID-19 (The Child Mind Institute)
- When Siblings Won’t Stop Fighting (The Child Mind Institute)
- Siblings in the Hospital: Helping Your Children Cope (About Kids Health)
- Facts, Routine, Reassurance Help Kids Manage Fears about the Pandemic (BLOOM Blog and Magazine)
Activities for Siblings
- Stay At Home Kit Version 1 (Young Caregivers Association)
- Stay At Home Kit Version 2 (Young Caregivers Association)
- 20 Learning Activities to Keep Kids Busy (Understood.org)
- First Aid for Feelings: A Workbook to Help Kids Cope During the Coronavirus Pandemic: English and Spanish available (Scholastic)
- Mindfulness Mondays and Fit Fridays (CAMH)
- Sibling Research Study: Asking for sibling participants between 14-25, who have brothers or sisters with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, Epilepsy, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder, or Spina Bifida) going through a health care transition. (BEST SIBS Study)
- ‘The SibKit 2.0’ was created at Holland Bloorview for siblings of children who experienced a brain injury. However, it can be adapted to your own family’s situation.There are activities inside that support conversations, provide explanations, and may help guide your child through complex emotions and feelings. If you would like this kit sent to you by postal service, please contact Melissa Ngo at mngo@hollandbloorview.ca.
Online Book Readings for Siblings
- Sunday Storytime: A variety of children’s books read by siblings in the disability community on Sundays (My Neighbour Totorrence)
- The Invisible String and the The Invisible Web: Two books about the invisible
connections between people when they cannot be together in the same space,
read by the author (Patrice Karst) - The Sister Book and The Brother Book: Both include a page where you can
insert a picture of your sibling at the end, parts read by the author (Todd Parr) - The Goodbye Book: For children who might be going through separation or loss, read by the author (Todd Parr)
Organizations with Online or Virtual Supports
- Young Carers Program Toronto
- Young Caregivers Association YouTube channel and Facebook page
- The Sibling Collaborative’s resources page
- The Change Foundation’s Inventory of Organizations Supporting Young Carers
- Holland Bloorview is exploring virtual options for our Sibling Support Program. If you are interested, please contact Victoria Rombos at siblingsupport@hollandbloorview.ca.
We encourage you to visit our website to access all of our COVID-19 or Coronavirus specific family tip sheets, which include virtual activity ideas, explaining COVID-19 to your kids, an example home schedule, and emergency supports.
This tipsheet belongs to a set of specialized resources for the COVID-19 and Coronavirus outbreak period. If you are looking for other family resources that have to do with childhood disability, please visit www.hollandbloorview.ca/resourcecentre.
Created by the Family Support Specialists at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital on April 22 2020. If you have a question or a resource to share, please feel free to reach out to us at resourcecentre@hollandbloorview.ca.
