High costs have forced the Sunshine League charity to scrap its residential foster care for children at the end of this month.Five full-time staff have also been made redundant, and 13 part-time employees have lost their jobs. Assisted by Child and Family Services, the group is now seeking alternative accommodation over the next two weeks for the eight children currently in its care. Each child will meet with social workers over the course of this week.In a statement last night, the Sunshine League announced that as of July 1 it would “refocus its efforts on more cost-effective programmes to support over 110 foster children in Bermuda. As a result, it is transitioning out of residential foster care, due to the excessively high costs of running a 24-hour residential foster care programme”.Sunshine League board interim president Zakiya Johnson told The Royal Gazette: “The Sunshine League has always struggled financially.“Thankfully we have had one or two significant donors in the last five years that have allowed us to keep the doors open.“The recent cut backs in the private and Government sector have left us with tough decisions to make.”Former executive director Denise Carey remains with the group, a spokesman said last night.The charity, Bermuda’s oldest, fared poorly in this year’s Budget, which saw its Government’s grant chopped from $200,000 down to $100,000 for this financial year. It costs the Sunshine League between $75,000 and $100,000 a year per child to operate a 24-hour facility. Its extra yearly expenses of $700,000 are covered by private donations.Ms Johnson said: “Although this is not an ideal situation, we welcome the opportunity associated with the new direction that The Sunshine League will be taking in 2011. We will be able to reach a larger number of children in Bermuda’s foster-care system by supporting more cost-effective programmes that will enhance the life skills of foster care children.“The Board remains steadfastly committed to the needs of children that find themselves in foster care in Bermuda.”She characterised the switch as going over to “needs-based services”, adding: “Our next step is to talk to donors about the future, look closely at the needs and consider how best to meet these needs.”Asked how efforts to rehouse Sunshine League children had proceeded, Ms Johnson said: “It is our understanding that Department of Child and Family Services, who are responsible for the placement of these children, is continuing to actively find alternative foster placements for the children.”Family Centre executive director Martha Dismont said: “One concern I have is what’s going to happen with these young people who need new foster homes. It’s difficult when children are over the age of 12. Most parents have concerns about dealing with teenagers.”The ages of the children to be rehoused have not yet been released. Ms Dismont continued: “I hope that the Sunshine League does reach out to other agencies to get help. We will be reaching out to their board to provide assistance.”However, she said, in resorting to Child and Family Services to find homes for the displaced eight children, “I’m not sure what direction they are going to go. The reason these young people are with the Sunshine League is because they were not able to find homes. Now Child and Family Services will have to stretch themselves even further. We’re all stretched at the moment.”Ms Dismont added that she was not a proponent that “Government should take on everything”.“It costs less for a non-profit or non-governmental organisation to take on these challenges with families. If we were all working closely together then we could provide a continuum of care, and I think this begs for us the question of finding a way for us to work more closely to provide that care.”In changing the Sunshine League’s service approach, Ms Johnson said: “We considered several options.“However, given the uncertainty in securing the necessary funding for residential care, we felt we could make more effective use of our resources and reach a larger number of children by supporting foster children in education-based programmes. This is a global issue that foster-care placements are facing. And as many charities in Bermuda are finding, the economic downturn has greatly affected financial giving.”Fundraising will continue, and the Sunshine League will maintain its support for educational programmes and other activities for foster children. It will also continue to assist foster families and offer foster parenting training, and its facility will remain in place.Were you raised with the support of the Sunshine League? Contact us with your story at news[AT]royalgazette.bm.