Sunbeam Family Services

A Brief History of Sunbeam Family Services, Inc.

1907 - The Sunbeam Home Association was organized by Mrs. L.D. Swisher and a group of Oklahoma City women. The object was to provide care to dependent children of Oklahoma City under the auspices of a non-sectarian agency.
On April 29, 1910, the agency was incorporated under the state laws of Oklahoma for the following purposes: "to relieve want, provide for the physical comfort, moral elevation, intellectual improvement, and the general welfare and protection of needy children; to purchase, lease, rent and control such real estate as may be necessary for use of the said Association; to receive contributions, bequests and donations for the purpose of carrying on its benevolent and charitable work". In the beginning, and for nearly three decades, the Sunbeam Home provided entirely institutional care as a private non-sectarian agency to dependent and neglected children from Oklahoma City and County.
In 1924 Sunbeam became a partner agency in what we today know as the United Way of Central Oklahoma.
About 1937, the Sunbeam Home, in cooperation with the University of Oklahoma's Department of Psychology, started a small psychological clinic, which operated until November 1943.
Around 1938, the Community Chest sponsored an amalgamation of the three children's agencies in the community operating as private, non-sectarian agencies. Sunbeam Home became the single non-sectarian Community Chest supported children's agency in the community, adding casework service, foster home placement, and adoptive home placement.
In January 1942, the agency became a member of the Child Welfare League of America.

1940's

Due to the tremendous demand of war industry working mothers for foster home and nursery placement of their children and the great number of private homes and nurseries opening up for this purpose, it became essential to protect children from poor placements and to exercise some control over developments. In November 1942, The Sunbeam Home was assigned the function of investigating such foster homes and nurseries and of providing casework counseling to parents regarding such placements. The Community Chest provided a budget for staffing and operating the service. This was known as the Counseling and Licensing Service and operated until July 1947.
Early in 1946, the Sunbeam Home arranged with the Guidance Department of University of Oklahoma for a staff of graduate students in psychology to provide psychological services to the agency's children.
In the fall of 1947, as a result of a newspaper expose' of deplorable conditions in state mental hospitals, the Oklahoma Committee for Mental Hygiene was organized for the purpose of interpreting and educating the public regarding mental hygiene needs. This committee requested the Sunbeam Home to participate in the organization of a general-purpose mental hygiene clinic, which opened in November, 1947. This was the only mental health clinic in the state, other than the mental hospitals, and was funded by the Oklahoma Committee for Mental Hygiene and the American Business Men's Club of Oklahoma City. In 1949, the clinic was incorporated as the Community Mental Hygiene Clinic and became an independent operation.
Starting in November 1947, the Sunbeam Home, as a community service, provided office space to the newly organized Oklahoma Committee for Mental Hygiene. In 1948, the Oklahoma Committee established its own offices and moved into its own separate quarters.
Because the community had no facilities for the emergency detention care of children - especially children under 12 years of age who were held pending Juvenile Court disposition - Sunbeam was requested to supply this service. In May 1945, Sunbeam Home agreed to provide detention services for delinquents up to 16 years of age if the county would agree to pay certain administrative and boarding rate costs. This program provided care for 12 children at any one time in the agency's Cottage.
In June 1946, the county was prevailed upon to accept responsibility for any child needing temporary emergency placement and do away with any labeling, such as delinquents or dependents, in favor of Shelter Care. In November 1947, when a clinic was re-established in the front part of the Cottage, the plan was changed to using the rear half of the Cottage to house 6 children under 6 years of age.
In 1948, a group foster home for African-American children was added. This program continued until November 1957, when the Shelter Care program was transferred to the newly established County Child Welfare Unit. This service and the agency's involvement in it was instrumental in the development of the Oklahoma County Child Welfare Unit in May 1957, and the establishment of a Detention Home in December 1958.
On April 29, 1949 the Sunbeam Home Association merged with the United Provident Association and officially dissolved their existing agencies and transferred all functions and properties to the new agency â€“ the Family and Children's Service of Oklahoma City. The latter was incorporated as of that date and immediately upon the dissolving of the old agencies, the new agency Board of Directors met and adopted a new constitution and bylaws, elected officers, and employed an Executive Director.

1950's

On March 14, 1956, the Board of Directors voted to change the name of the agency to Sunbeam Home and Family Service. This was done because: 1) attorneys had stated that the agency was being left out of wills because people did not realize that the Sunbeam Home children's program was still in existence, 2) the community had been oriented over the years to the name Sunbeam Home and valuable public relations and good will were lost in giving up the name. At that time, the agency's services included residential care for children in Sunbeam Home and in foster homes, a counseling service for families and individuals, and day care for children.
In February 1956, Sunbeam's office was moved from an old city-owned building on SW 2nd Street to new quarters constructed at 616 NW 21st Street, next to Sunbeam Home, 620 NW 21st.

1960's

New day care facilities were constructed in 1968 (South Center) and 1979 (East Center).

1970's

Sunbeam began to provide services for the elderly in 1974 when the Senior Companion program was established.
Later on, in 1978, an Outreach Counseling Service for the elderly and their families was added. In 1983, the Respite Care Program for elderly caregivers was developed, closely followed in 1984 by the Family Connection, a family life education and consultation service for the elderly and their families. The latter three services all were closed prior to May 1986.
In 1975, the agency's name was changed from Sunbeam Home and Family Services to Sunbeam Family Services.
Three residential cottages were built in 1977 on NW 20th Street to house the residential treatment program residents who were living in Sunbeam Home, which was then remodeled into an office building.

1980's

In 1983, Sunbeam, in conjunction with the Community Council, established an employee assistance service as a part of the Counseling Program.
In 1984, the agency received contributions specifically designated to establish a Sunbeam endowment fund. That fund continues to grow from contributions and earnings while providing financial support to the annual budget.
In 1987, the Transcultural Counseling Agency merged with Sunbeam. At its inception, the Transcultural Counseling Agency served only Korean speaking clients. In 1988, a Vietnamese counselor was hired to provide counseling for Vietnamese and Chinese speaking clients. Counseling for Korean speaking people ended in March 1989, when the Korean speaking counselor left the agency. In 1993, the Vietnamese counselor left the agency, leaving Sunbeam with only Hispanic speaking counseling to serve as Transcultural Counseling.

1990's

In 1990, the East Day Care Center program was closed. The Family Day Care Program was begun that year to recruit, train, and monitor family day care providers, caring for infants and toddlers. The East Day Care Center building was leased in 1990 to the Lennie Marie Tolliver Adult Day Care Center, which then purchased the building in 1991. Funds from the sale of the building were added to the agency's endowment fund.
Early in 1991, Mrs. Edith Gaylord Harper, long time active and honorary Board member, made a significant contribution to the agency for a computer system. A giant leap was then made possible in the agency's ability to meet and maintain high standards of fiscal and statistical accountability. A 1997 grant from the Kirkpatrick Family Fund provided for upgrading this system.
In 1991, the Board of Directors updated the agency's mission statement: to provide affordable, quality social services which result in improved individual and family functioning.
In 1992, the Residential Treatment Program was closed. Department of Mental Health funding which had partly funded that program was transferred to become new funding for the Therapeutic Foster Care program to enhance and expand that program.
In May 1992, Sunbeam's Board of Directors approved the Articles of Incorporation of the Foundation for Sunbeam Family Services, established to hold, manage and administer the agency's endowment fund. Total endowment funds at the time were approximately $1.4 million.
In the spring of 1993, the Department of Human Services removed the cap on the number of children that could be in Sunbeam's therapeutic foster care at any one time. In 1989, the cap had been 12. From 1993 and forward the number of children in placement is determined by DHS need for Sunbeam's services and that agency's financial condition.
In 1996, Sunbeam began providing seminars or psycho-education classes to adults; first focusing on parenting after divorce but soon expanding the effort to include classes on parenting in general, and anger management.
In 1998, the Family Home Day Care Program was dissolved when funds supporting the program were no longer sufficient to meet the needs of the service.
In 1999, Sunbeam began offering age appropriate self-esteem development classes to school aged children on selected campuses. The first classes used art as a medium for helping children express feelings and, in 2001, were expanded to include classes on bullying and gender violence prevention.

2000's

In 2000, Sunbeam expanded the capacity of its specialized early care and education program by converting an area formerly used for preschool-aged children to make space for 16 infants and toddlers. This change gave the program the capacity to serve children from birth to age six. The name of the program was also changed from Sunbeam Day Care to the Sunbeam Child Development Center to better emphasize the program's focus on child development rather than simply on childcare. A full-time counselor was later added to better serve the children with developmental delays and behavior problems.

Another significant development in 2000 was the implementation of a comprehensive Continuous Quality Improvement plan that includes citizen-led quarterly reviews of the impact Sunbeam's programs have on the clients served and the implementation of outcome based measures of performance. This process remains in effect today and has become a very significant part of our organizational culture.

In 2001, the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) cancelled contracts with private family foster care providers in Oklahoma and Tulsa counties. This marked the first time in Sunbeam's history that it didn't provide a residential program for children who simply needed shelter, nurture, and support due to child abuse and/or neglect rather than intense therapy. The therapeutic foster care program that was initiated in the early 1990s remains very active in serving children who have these same needs plus very serious emotional problems stemming from child abuse and neglect. All traditional foster care in Oklahoma County is now provided by DHS.

In 2001, Sunbeam expanded its services to senior citizens by opening an emergency shelter for victims of elder abuse that is operated through a partnership with DHS, Areawide Aging Agency and The Daily Living Centers. In 2002 the shelter's mission was expanded to include services for adults made homeless by a catastrophic medical problem as well as victims of abuse, neglect and exploitation. That same year, the shelter sought and achieved licensure by the state of Oklahoma as a Residential Care Home. It is the first and only shelter for senior citizens and the only licensed shelter in the state.

Another service for senior citizens, developed in 2001, is a program called "Caregiver Fundamentals". Although it was originally designed to provide training and support for individuals who are caring for an aging family member, in 2003 the scope of the program was expanded to include services for grandparents raising grandchildren. A Title III Older Americans Act Grant from the Areawide Aging Agency provides most of the financial support for "Caregiver Fundamentals".

In mid-October 2002, Sunbeam was contacted by the Department of Human Services and informed that the current provider of emergency foster care in Oklahoma and Tulsa counties was suddenly closing its doors. Because of the agency's reputation for dependability and reliability, Sunbeam was asked to step in to fill the void. The Board of Directors agreed and, a breath-taking two weeks later, the agency began providing the needed services. Adding emergency foster care to Sunbeam's array of services was especially exciting because it reconnected the agency with its original mission in 1907 of caring for children who are temporarily without a home or family that can properly care for and nurture them.

Also in 2002, our strategic plan was amended to included preservation of Sunbeam's debt-free properties. Major repairs were made at the Sunbeam Child Development Center and the Sunbeam Home. These improvements were made possible by grants form the Kirkpatrick Family Fund, The Presbyterian Health Foundation, Sarkeys Foundation and Merrick Foundation. The repairs and preservation will help these buildings remain fully functional and available to house services to the community for many years to come.

In 2003, Sunbeam was notified that Casey Family Program, the nation's premier foster care program, has selected us to provide services to their foster children in Oklahoma when the local Casey office closes in 2005. Beginning in 2004, Casey is leasing office space in the Sunbeam Home building and the two agencies are working together to transition Casey's foster children and foster families into Sunbeam's care. In July 2005 Sunbeam will assume full responsibility for Casey Family Program operations in Oklahoma.

In 2004, Sunbeam Family Services was awarded the Early Head Start Oklahoma City grant to administer specialized early care and education for children birth to age 3 from high-risk families. Funding is sufficient to operate 120 slots spread among Sunbeam Family Services, Latino Community Development Center, Emerson High School and Linwood United Methodist Church.

In 2006, Sunbeam was invited to become a partner in an exciting new early childhood initiative called Educare and in 2007 was named the managing partner. OKC Educare will provide early childhood education of the highest quality for 200 children birth to age five form high risk circumstances and wrap around support services for their families. The projected opening date for this exciting new opportunity is January 2009.