New designation expands foster care capacity while merging compassion and reform to meet one of the state’s greatest needs
Sunnybrook Children’s Home has been awarded a contract by the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services (MDCPS) to serve as a licensed foster care agency. The designation places Sunnybrook among a select group of partner organizations entrusted with recruiting, training, and licensing foster families statewide. This partnership not only expands foster care capacity but also represents a transformative step toward urgently 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.”
“These realities underscore why reform cannot wait,” said Ron Veazey, Interim Executive Director of Sunnybrook. “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.”
Recent MDCPS reforms — including expanded online training, updated household guidelines, and streamlined licensing processes — have lowered barriers for prospective foster parents. Sunnybrook builds upon these changes by offering wraparound training, trauma-informed care, mentorship programs, and community-based support that extend beyond licensure.
Through its Foster Family Campus (FFC) Ministry, Sunnybrook is developing pipelines of volunteers and foster families to reduce burnout and sustain capacity. These efforts build on the organization’s longstanding success in transitional living programs, where Sunnybrook has equipped youth with life skills, financial literacy, and workforce readiness.
“This contract represents more than expansion — it represents innovation and collaboration at a time when Mississippi needs it most,” said Andrea Sanders, MDCPS 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’s new designation reflects its ministry roots, partnerships with churches and schools, and its longstanding role in transitional youth care.
“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.”