Mississippi’s foster care system is facing unprecedented strain, with more than 4,000 children in state custody and too few licensed foster families to meet the need. In a move local leaders say could reshape the future of foster care, the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services (MDCPS) has awarded Sunnybrook Children’s Home a contract to serve as a licensed foster care agency.
The designation places Sunnybrook among a small group of organizations empowered to recruit, train, and license foster families statewide. For the Ridgeland-based nonprofit, the new role marks both an expansion of its ministry and a bold step toward long-needed reform.
“Sunnybrook’s mission has always been to create safe, stable, and nurturing environments for children,” said Dwayne Blaylock, president of Sunnybrook’s Board of Directors. “This new role allows us to multiply our impact by equipping families, building community pipelines, and meeting one of Mississippi’s most urgent needs with faith, excellence, and compassion.”
The new partnership builds on recent MDCPS reforms designed to make fostering more accessible. Updates such as expanded online training, revised household guidelines, and streamlined approval processes have lowered barriers for prospective foster parents. Sunnybrook will add another layer of support, offering trauma-informed training, mentorship programs, and wraparound resources that extend well beyond licensure.
“By joining MDCPS as a licensed agency, Sunnybrook is stepping into the gap — not just to license foster homes, but to redefine how children and families are supported across Mississippi,” said Ron Veazey, interim executive director of Sunnybrook.
Through its Foster Family Campus (FFC) Ministry, Sunnybrook is also working to develop sustainable pipelines of volunteers and foster families, with the goal of reducing burnout and maintaining long-term stability. These efforts mirror the organization’s longstanding transitional living programs, which have helped youth build life skills, financial literacy, and workforce readiness.
State leaders view the contract as a critical moment of collaboration. “This contract represents more than expansion. It represents innovation and collaboration at a time when Mississippi needs it most,” said Andrea Sanders, commissioner of MDCPS. “Sunnybrook’s leadership and vision reflect the kind of forward-thinking partnership required to transform outcomes for our most vulnerable children.”
For Sunnybrook, the designation affirms its faith-driven roots and history of serving children in crisis. “This is about more than paperwork,” Veazey added. “It’s about surrounding foster families with the same love, care, and resources that we ask them to provide and working toward a future where every child in Mississippi has a safe place to call home.”
Sunnybrook invites families, volunteers, and community partners to help shape the future of foster care. Whether through fostering, mentoring, or lending a hand with the Foster Family Campus, every commitment makes a difference. Learn more at www.sunnybrookms.org or call (601) 856-6555.
