Supporting SIBS means supporting the whole family!

Group of five children and one adult woman smiling, standing indoors near a wall, with a window showing an outdoor parking lot and trees. The children wear name tags, and one girl is holding a small pumpkin.

What is the Supporting SIBS?

Supporting Sibs is a statewide initiative led by Ohio SIBS to connect, educate, and empower siblings of individuals with disabilities. Through Sibling Mentor Training and partnerships with County Boards, the program creates meaningful opportunities for siblings to learn, share, and prepare for their important lifelong roles. By working with local partners, Supporting Sibs ensures that young siblings have access to the support, tools, and connections they need—today and into the future.

County boards enroll to our Supporting SIBS program and become sibling mentors by attending our Sibling Mentorship training where they learn about the sibling perspective and how to connect with sibling groups to better prepare them for their lifelong role as a Sib.

If your county does not have a group please reach out and let us help to start one today!

100% Parent Satisfaction

  • "A godsend for our family, been a blessing that our daughter looks forward to, and supported her growth as someone who will care about others and her community.”

    Parent of child in a county board sibling group

  • “She is always asking when the next one is,”

    Parent of a child in a county board sibling group

  • “A nice break for her to be who she wants to be and not have our family as her primary identity.”

    Parent of a child in a county board sibling group

Map of Ohio highlighting various counties with blue hearts indicating locations of supporting sibling support initiatives, including Williams, Allen, Miami, Clinton, Ross, Union, Marion, Knox, Coshocoton, Athens, Noble, Belmont, Columbus, Mahoning, Trumbull, Harrison, Columbia, and others. The map is titled "Supporting Sibs" and shows logos of Ohio SIBS and the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities.

Supporting SIBS Serving All of Ohio

County Boards offering Supporting SIBS programs are listed below along with contact information. Programs are typically held monthly or quarterly. Use the dropdown list to connect with the appropriate contact for details on upcoming group dates, locations, and how to register.

If your county does not currently offer a Supporting SIBS group, many counties welcome siblings from nearby counties. We also have an Ohio SIBS Virtual Group serving all of Ohio. Please contact Abby Turnwald to join: abbyturnwald@gmail.com

Join our Monthly Virtual SIBS Group

Every 2nd Thursday of the Month @ 6:30pm

Every 3rd Monday of the Month @ 6:30pm

Contact Abby Turnwald to join!

abbyturnwald@gmail.com

  • Allen County Board of DD: 2500 Ada Rd. Lima OH 45801

    Supporting SIBS Contact: Melissa Weaver

    Phone: 419-221-1385 x1249

    Email: mweaver@acbdd.org

    Sibling Mentors: Melissa Weaver, Molly Kersh, Rebecca Palko, Madison Moore, Katie Kersh

    Ages: 7-12

  • Athens County Board of DD: 801 W Union St, Athens, OH 45701

    Supporting SIBS Contact: Autumn Brown

    Email: abrown@athenscbdd.org

  • Belmont County Board of DD: 68421 Hammond Rd St.Clairsville, Ohio 43950

    Supporting SIBS Contact: Amanda Tharp

    Phone: 740-695-0407 x.356

    Email: atharp@bcbdd.org

    Sibling Mentors: Amanda Tharp & Ashley Spencer

    Ages: 7-12

    Accepting kids from Noble & Harrison Counties

  • Clinton County Board of DD: 180 E. Sugartree Street, Wilmington, OH 45177

    Supporting SIBS Contact: Marnie Reed

    Phone: (937) 944-3215

    Email: mreed@clintondd.org

    Sibling Mentors: Marnie Reed & Shanon Bene

    Ages: 7-12

  • Columbiana County Board of DD: 7675 State Route 45 Lisbon, Ohio 44432

    Supporting SIBS Contact: Carrie Lawton

    Phone: 330-424-7788 x121

    Email: c.lawton@ccbdd.net

    Sibling Mentor: Carrie Lawton

    Ages: 7-12

  • Knox County Board of DD: 11700 Upper Gilchrist Rd, Suite A Mt Vernon OH 43050

    Supporting SIBS Contact: Talisha Beha

    Phone: 330-390-5175

    Email: tbeha@knoxdd.com

    Sibling Mentors: Talisha Beha

    Ages: 7-12

  • Mahoning County Board of DD: 4791 Woodridge Dr. Austintown, OH 44515

    Supporting SIBS Contact: Jennifer Baer

    Phone: 330-397-2036

    Email: jennifer.baer@mahoningcountyoh.gov

    Sibling Mentors: Jennifer Baer & Kimberly Jeswald

    Ages: 7-12

  • Marion County Board of DD: 2387 Harding Hwy E, Marion, OH 43302

    Supporting SIBS Contact: Nicole Workman

    Phone: (740) 387-1035

    Email: nworkman@marioncountydd.org

    Sibling Mentors: Emily Levy & Paige Endsley

    Ages: 7-13

    Accepts children from Morrow & Crawford County

  • Miami County Board of Developmental Disabilities: 1625 Troy-Sidney Rd, Troy, OH 45373

    Supporting SIBS Contact: Karen Armentrout

    Phone: 937-440-3020

    Email: sibs@miamicountydd.org

    Sibling Mentors: Karen Armentraut, Trina Hetzel, Hollie Ressler

    Ages: 7-13

    Website: https://miamicountydd.org/sibshops/

  • Ross County Board of DD: 167 W Main St Chillicothe Ohio

    Supporting SIBS Contact: Kristen Smith

    Phone: 740-507-3681

    Email: krsmith@rossdd.org

    Sibling Mentors: Kristen Smith, Kara Brown, Kate Teter

    Little SIBS: Ages 5-7

    School age: Ages 7-13

    Teen Groups: 13-17

    https://rossdd.org/events/ross-county-little-sibs/?doing_wp_cron=1769107830.6479499340057373046875

  • Sandusky Board of DD: 1001 Castalia Street Fremont, OH 43420

    Supporting SIBS Contact: Nicole Krumnow

    Phone: 419-603-6531

    Email: nkrumnow@scbdd.org

    Sibling Mentors: Joy Ruetz, Heidi Clark, Nicole Krumnow

    Ages: Children & Teens

  • Council for Union County Families (Family and Children First Council- FCFC)

    Supporting SIBS Contact: Vanessa Humphrey

    Phone: (937) 738-9800

    Email: Vanessa@cucfuc.org

    Ages: 8-12

  • Coming Soon

  • William County Board of DD

    Supporting SIBS Contact: Beth Votaw

    Coming Soon

  • Ohio SIBS Virtual Group

    Supporting SIBS Contact: Abby Turnwald

    Email: abbyturnwald@gmail.com to register

    Phone: (740) 330-4965

    Ages: 7-12

    Groups run monthly on Zoom

    Every 2nd Thursday of the Month @ 6:30pm ET

    Every 3rd Monday of the Month @ 6:30pm ET

Group of smiling diverse people, including children and adults, posing together in an indoor venue with wooden accents and a high ceiling.
Four women standing in front of a wall with framed photographs, smiling at the camera.
Group of children and adults posing in an art gallery with various paintings on the walls, including a large abstract painting behind them.
Two young girls with long red hair, wearing casual clothes, are standing against a white brick wall. One girl holds a water bottle and has a cheerful expression. The other girl, slightly behind.
A group of children and two adults standing in front of a white brick wall in an indoor setting. There are tables with various items, including water bottles, papers, and Halloween-themed decorations in the foreground.

Let’s work together.

Interested in bringing Sibling Support to your county? We would love to work together. If you would like to meet with us or find out more information please fill out this form and we will be in touch with you shortly. We can't wait to hear from you!

Join Ohio SIBS and connect with our statewide, lifelong sibling support network. By partnering with us, you’ll not only empower the siblings in the families you serve but also build lasting connections that support them now and into the future.