As a result of the many crushing pressures of modern life in Bermuda, many parents are unable to cope with their duties to their children, Sunshine League executive director Denise Carey told Hamilton Rotarians last week.

As a result there is a pressing need for more foster parents on the Island as many displaced children can end up staying the Sunshine League?s emergency homes for years on end as there is no relative to care for them.

?Life is difficult,? Ms Carey told Rotarians at their weekly luncheon.

?Then, you become a parent. Parenting is difficult; no, it is perhaps the most awesome task one will ever experience.

?Parenting in Bermuda, coupled with our existing housing difficulties; alcohol and other drugs; parent?s employability; mental health; and various other social issues; are all issues which bring cause for children to be placed at the Sunshine League.?

The charity, which opened in 1919, was Bermuda?s first social welfare organisation and the need for its services is greater now than ever, Ms Carey said.

The Sunshine League?s Children?s Home caters to both male and female children between the ages of eight and 16 years of age in its 28-bed facility.

The home provides therapeutic care to displaced children and promotes traditional family values.

They provide emergency housing, in addition to short term and long term care for children who are referred by the Department of Child and Family Services on a Court Order.

Sadly, she added, some children end up staying at the home for long periods of time.

?There are children who are unable to be cared for by their parents or relatives which resulted in them being placed at the Sunshine League,? she said.

?The Sunshine League has housed children for over three consecutive years because there has been no parent or relative deemed suitable or able to care for them.

?There is a clear need for more foster parents. Some of Bermuda?s children do not have options. Once the family has been exhausted, a child is facing years at the Sunshine League. The older they become, the less likely a foster home will become available to them.?

The Sunshine League tries to support the children in as many different areas as possible, however.

The charity offers academic support services Monday through Thursday during the school year and its Child Life Staff teach the children the fundamentals of independent living.

While partially funded by the Government, Sunshine League depends heavily on individual and corporate donors to continue its works as well as its volunteer workforce.

?I cannot adequately emphasise the contributions they have made to the League,? Ms Carey said.

The relationships which develop between the children and the volunteers are enduring and of immeasurable value, she added, while encouraging everyone to make volunteering a part of their life.

?I implore you to find one charity to make a difference in your life,? she said.

There are many ways that volunteers can assist.

At Sunshine League, for example, you can:

Volunteer your time and resources;

Support their fundraising efforts as an individual or corporation; or,

Become a Mentor to a Foster Child or even a Foster Parent.

?Doing any one or all of these things will ensure that each child in Foster Care finds his or her personal success,? Ms Carey said.

?That every point of adversity they face transcends into a moment of victory. When I have left the Sunshine League and I meet these children as adults, I expect for them to don a broad chest, having found satisfaction and personal rewards in whatever it is they are doing. When I look into their eyes, I expect to see hope and sparkle of love having lived at the Sunshine League.?