Mississippi Child Protective Services partners with Sunnybrook Children’s Home to license more foster parents

• The Mississippi Department of Child Protective Services reports that as of Thursday, there were 3,983 children in foster care in the state.

Mississippi has a growing shortage of foster homes. However, that fact is not unique to the Magnolia State; it is a nationwide problem. 

In an effort to help license more foster parents, the Mississippi Department of Child Protective Services has partnered with Sunnybrook Children’s Home to license at least 10 additional families annually.

“This contract represents more than expansion – it represents innovation and collaboration at a time when Mississippi needs it most,” said Andrea Sanders, CPS Commissioner. “Sunnybrook’s leadership and vision reflect the kind of forward-thinking partnership required to transform outcomes for our most vulnerable children. Together, we are building a foundation of hope, healing and stability.”

Sunnybrook Children’s Home provides housing to Mississippi’s foster children aged 14 to 21, depending on the program, along with several additional services such as a driver’s education program.

Sunnybrook’s Interim Executive Director Ron Veazey told Magnolia Tribune he expects the ministry to be able to exceed the contractual minimum number of families licensed in the first year. 

“I firmly believe that we’ll have more than 10 families,” Veazey said.

In terms of the area served, Sunnybrook’s focus for now will be the tri-county area where it is located, just outside of Jackson in Ridgeland. Veazey said that since this is a statewide designation there are plans to expand that footprint. 

“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.”

In preparation to meet the terms of the contract, one new case worker has already been hired, and Veazey said he expects the need to hire another soon. He added that one case worker can only work 10 foster cases by state law and the typical foster home cares for one or two children.

He predicts this partnership will provide foster homes for up to 20 children.

Since Veazey anticipates at least 12 families will be licensed through the new contract in the first year, another case worker will be needed. Training of Sunnybrook staff to license new families will be required.

While Sunnybrook currently houses between 15 to 20 young women on its 35-acre campus, the children who find foster homes will be housed with foster families in and around Ridgeland. 

“The children will still be in the custody of Child Protective Services,” Veazey described.

Currently, CPS reports that as of Thursday, there were 3,983 children in foster care in Mississippi. 

CPS said reforms in the agency, which include online training expansion, a streamlining of the process to be licensed and new guidelines for households, are making it easier for families to become foster parents. Through this partnership, foster parents licensed through Sunnybrook will be able to take advantage of a number of the facility’s amenities.

Veazey said Sunnybrook has on-staff counselors and other services that can help prevent burnout. One will even provide assistance to make taking vacations or going on dates easier.

Typically, if a foster parent wants to go on vacation with a foster child, there is a bit of red tape involved. Even if parents just want to go on a date night, the babysitter employed to care for foster children has to be licensed and undergo a background check. These requirements lead foster families to forego vacations and dates, activities that can help them relieve the stresses of fostering.

“There’s a lot of extra steps they have to take and leave the foster children with a babysitter,” Veazey described. “So, they get marooned in their house and they feel like they’re on an island.”

Through licensure with Sunnybrook, foster parents will have access to more resources to help foster parents and families. 

“We want to provide superior service to these families, both with if they want to go on vacations, we take the lead and go to judges quickly,” Veazey said. “Or if they want to go on a date, we have licensed people on campus that they can bring the children to, or we can go to the homes and help facilitate a normal life for these families.”

Additional amenities include access to Sunnybrook’s counselors and a respite facility in Flowood, Veazey added.

“The people that we serve will get all of these services,” Veazey said.

To learn more about becoming a foster parent, visit the CPS website.