Home Life

"A hundred years from now, the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child."
—author unknown

On any given day, you can hear laughter, see tears, watch kids excitedly race to the playground, catch the sound of skate boards zipping down the street and smell a delicious meal prepared for all to share family-style around a large dining room table. There are ongoing art projects, coloring contests, movie nights in each home and, of course, homework when school is in session. Lazy summer days find kids making crafts, packing to go to camp and looking forward to Sunnybrook's annual vacation.

Birthdays are extra fun and celebrated with a cake and the child's favorite meal enjoyed either at home or a local eatery. A trip to the Birthday Room to pick out a couple of special presents is an added treat. The emotion that wells up in all of us is never a surprise when a child has to ask why birthday gifts are received when none have ever been given before becoming part of the Sunnybrook Family.

The tender moments in the lives of children warm your heart: the unexpected hug and words of gratitude for being there to see their part in the school or church program; observing the love that has been given to them lavished on someone else as they learn to make a difference in the lives of others; a child generously buying each person in the home gifts purchased with allowance money; listening to heartfelt prayers, sensing the security they feel as they are tucked in each night and the restful sleep they seem to enjoy; noticing the light in their eyes as a home devotional is given when you know they are beginning to understand exactly what you are sharing with them—precious moments, precious memories.

Every season of the year finds pleasure and challenge in the simple, as well as the complex, issues in the lives of our children. We celebrate and are grateful for the opportunity of ministry to the children who come our way and need us. You see—Sunnybrook was born out of a love for children and a desire to provide a safe, caring environment that mirrors a traditional family for children who have been abused or neglected.

Sunnybrook Children's Home has four primary houses with a capacity for eight children per house. Since the child's home life is the most critical ingredient, Sunnybrook Children's Home utilizes the houseparent model of care. Houseparents serve as positive role models, set clear and consistent expectations and provide each child with a Christian family environment where each child is nurtured, supervised and instructed. There is no substitute for the valuable lessons taught and learned at home.