Every young person deserves more than a place to stay.
They deserve guidance. Stability. Trusted adults. Practical life skills. A plan for the future. And the confidence to believe life after foster care can be filled with purpose, possibility, and hope.
That is why National Foster Care Month matters so deeply to Sunnybrook.
Each May, communities across the country raise awareness for children and youth in foster care and the families, mentors, and support systems needed to help them thrive. This year’s national theme, “Engaging Youth. Building Supports. Strengthening Opportunities,” speaks directly to one of the most urgent needs in child welfare: preparing young people who are approaching adulthood and preparing to leave foster care.
For Sunnybrook, that issue is not abstract. It is the heart of our mission.
Across the United States, there are more than 365,000 children and youth in foster care. Approximately 18,500 youth are emancipated from foster care without a permanent family. And in 2021, 77% of eligible youth in foster care, ages 14–21, left care without receiving the federally funded services necessary to prepare them for adulthood and independent living.
Those numbers should give us pause.
Because behind every statistic is a young person standing at the edge of adulthood, often without the family connections, practical support, or safety net many of us take for granted.
That is exactly who Sunnybrook serves.
Sunnybrook’s Transitional Living Program is designed for youth ages 14–21 who are exiting or preparing to exit foster care and need support building a sustainable life after care. Through intentional educational, professional, personal, and financial development, Sunnybrook equips older youth to prepare for independence and become engaged members of their communities.
Through our campus ministry and blessed by the generosity of faithful donors, dedicated business owners, and caring neighbors throughout our Ridgeland community, we are privileged to serve youth ages 14–18 as they complete high school or pursue an equivalency credential. Together, we help equip our youth with practical life skills, financial readiness, driver’s license preparation, and opportunities for part-time employment.
Our Supervised Independent Living program serves young adults, typically ages 18–21, who have completed high school or an equivalency and are taking the next step toward independence with the supervision, support, and encouragement of a Resident Assistant. These young adults work full-time, attend college or trade school, or pursue a combination of both while continuing to build professional skills, financial stability, and personal responsibility.
This is where hope becomes practical.
Hope looks like learning how to budget.
Hope looks like getting a driver’s license.
Hope looks like preparing for a job interview.
Hope looks like finishing school.
Hope looks like maintaining a vehicle, managing personal responsibilities, saving money, and making wise decisions when no one is standing over your shoulder.
At Sunnybrook, Foster Care Awareness Month reminds us that this work is more than foster care — it is about building futures filled with hope. Through our partnership with the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services, Sunnybrook now serves as a licensed foster care agency, expanding our reach to more foster youth and families across Mississippi while continuing to strengthen foster homes, build community support, and invest in practical programs like Driver’s Education that remove barriers to independence.
Because the transition from foster care into adulthood is not a single moment. It is a process that takes a village.
Through Sunnybrook’s Foster Family Community, our most recent campus ministry, we are helping build that village by recruiting, training, and supporting foster families, including first-time foster parents, so children and youth can experience stability, encouragement, and lasting hope.
A young person does not become independent simply because they reach a certain birthday. True freedom must be taught, practiced, supported, and reinforced over time. For youth who have experienced trauma, instability, loss, or disrupted family connections, that preparation becomes even more critical.
Together, these efforts are breaking cycles of generational dependency and opening pathways to personal responsibility, stability, and independence in adulthood.
For all who support Sunnybrook, this is an invitation to take flight with us. The image captures a simple but powerful truth: hardship and loss can weigh young people down, but the right support can help them find courage, hope, and the confidence to move forward. That is the role of community.
Not everyone is called to be a foster parent. But everyone can help foster hope.
Some can mentor.
Some can volunteer.
Some can give.
Some can pray.
Some can help with transportation, meals, or encouragement.
Some can support programs that teach life skills, job readiness, financial literacy, and independence.
For youth aging out of foster care, permanent connections and concrete support can change the direction of a life. The question is not only, “Where will this young person live?” The deeper question is, “Who will walk with them as they become an adult?”
At Sunnybrook, the answer is clear: they should not walk alone.
This Foster Care Awareness Month, we invite you to see the young people behind the statistics. See the teenager learning to trust again. See the young adult preparing for work or college. See the resident working toward a driver’s license. See the future that becomes possible when a community chooses to invest.
And then, take a step with us.
Join Sunnybrook for the 2nd Annual Fostering Hope 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, June 6, at 8:00 AM at Sunnybrook’s campus in Ridgeland. Whether you run, walk, volunteer, or cheer from the sidelines, your participation helps foster hope, healing, and a brighter future for youth at Sunnybrook.
Proceeds directly support Sunnybrook’s transitional and independent living programs, helping youth transition from foster care into healthy, purpose-filled lives.
Your steps give HOPE. Walk with us.