After six years in operation in Mansonville, the future of Sunshine House, a non-profit residence for adults with developmental challenges, is uncertain after notice was given by the CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS that the home may soon need to fend for itself.
“We were told we have to run it ourselves,” explained Almut Ellinghaus, secretary on the non-profit home’s board of directors and stepmom to one of the residents.
“I’m the only one not in their 70s,” Ellinghaus said, “They’re forcing us into a situation that we have to close because we cannot do it anymore.”
Sunshine House was a ray of hope for local families with special needs children looking for long-term care options.
Aging parents with children who require supervision and care have the unique dilemma of trying to find a suitable environment for their kids when they are no longer able to provide the care they need.
Inconsistent funding and changes to programs with each new wave of government make it challenging for parents to find a place they know their children will be properly looked after when they are gone.
A group of families in the Mansonville area took it upon themselves to solve that problem and created Sunshine House.
