I am Samantha Talbert, a 20-year-old sister who has been torn apart from my sibling, Ashlan Ferguson, for many years. We grew up together, side by side, until I was about 10 years old. Since then, the Department of Community-Based Services (DCBS) cut all communication between us and her birth family. Despite our shared history and strong sibling bond, I am not allowed any contact with her.

Ashlan, who will be turning 17 this year, is still a child, and needs her family during these crucial formative years. Despite not having my own place yet, the foster home where I currently reside is more than capable of providing her with the support and care she needs. They say my parental rights weren't taken away—yet they take away my rights to even contact her. This is not only a disservice to me as her sister but a violation of what DCBS stands for.

It is not uncommon for siblings to maintain contact and live together unless there are serious concerns, and there are none in this case. Our situation makes it evident that the system designed to protect children ends up alienating them from the very love and family ties fundamental to their well-being.

The importance of keeping siblings together is well-documented. Studies show that siblings who stay connected are more likely to feel a sense of familial security, less likely to experience feelings of abandonment and loss, and have better mental health outcomes.

I plead with you to support my appeal for Ashlan to reside with me, or at the very least, to re-establish contact between us. Ashlan deserves the joy of family bonds and the stability that comes with it, and there is nothing I desire more profoundly than to have my beloved sister back in my life.

Please help us reunite and bring Ashlan back to her family. Your signature can make a difference in her life and in mine. Sign this petition to bring Ashlan home.

Robert Peeler

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