Sunnybrook Awarded CPS Licensing Contract, Positioned as Model for Foster Care Reform in Mississippi

New designation expands foster care capacity while merging compassion and reform to meet one of the state’s greatest needs

RIDGELAND, MS, UNITED STATES, September 9, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- 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.”

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About Sunnybrook Children’s Home
Sunnybrook Children’s Home, based in Ridgeland, Miss., has served vulnerable children and families since 1963. The faith-based nonprofit provides residential care, transitional living programs and community support with a focus on independent living skills, workforce readiness and family stability. Sunnybrook is recognized as a national model for preparing youth aging out of foster care to succeed as independent adults. For more information, visit www.sunnybrookms.org or contact Ron Veazey at (601) 540-4253 or rveazey@sunnybrookms.org.

About the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services
The Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services (MDCPS) was established in 2016 as the state’s lead child welfare agency, separating from the Mississippi Department of Human Services. Created by Senate Bill 2179 and signed into law by Gov. Phil Bryant, MDCPS operates as an independent agency with its commissioner serving in the governor’s cabinet. Increased state funding has allowed MDCPS to strengthen its infrastructure and expand its workforce of social workers to better meet the needs of children and families across Mississippi. For more information, visit www.mdcps.ms.gov or email contact.us@mdcps.ms.gov.

Media Contacts
Ron Veazey
Interim Executive Director, Sunnybrook Children’s Home
rveazey@sunnybrookms.org | (601) 540-4253

Chris Herting
Strategic Communications, H2D Strategies
chris@h2dstrategies.com | (215) 317-4740

Chris Herting
H2D Strategies
+1 215-317-4740
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