A Christian children’s home in the Rio Grande Valley
Sunny Glen is a Christian children’s home in the Rio Grande Valley, helping children and families restore hope and rebuild trusting relationships by meeting their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs in Christian love.
Since 1936, we have been a refuge for abused and neglected children. With the support of churches, individuals, community partners, and the grace of God, this faith-based nonprofit provides loving homes and professional services for children and families across South Texas who need them.
Our Story
Our story began in a single two-story house near La Feria, Texas, where six children were welcomed in as a ministry of the Churches of Christ. What started small has never stopped growing in heart.
We purchased our San Benito land in 1945 and welcomed the first children there in 1949, and in the decades since we have replaced old barrack-style housing with warm, family-centered cottages where every child has a room to call their own. Today our gated San Benito campus, with its green lawns, palm trees, walking path, and space to play, is home to many children at a time.
Across nine decades, this Christian children’s home has offered a safe haven to thousands of children in the Rio Grande Valley.
- 1936Near La FeriaSix children in a two-story house
- 1945San Benito landOur campus land is purchased
- 1949First childrenWelcomed to the San Benito campus
- TodayFamily cottagesA room for every child to call their own
On a Mission to Provide a Place of Hope
Our mission is clear. We provide a loving environment where children can heal from past trauma and find new hope through the transforming power of God’s love and the care of our childcare professionals. Every child on our campus knows their life counts, and we want each of them to see the potential they carry inside. Making that kind of difference takes a culture built for it.
We believe our beliefs shape our values, our values shape our behavior, and our behavior becomes our culture. So we work to build a caring, healing environment where staff can strengthen the trusting, loving relationships that help every child grow. Sunny Glen has been a Christian faith-based organization since our founding, and we hold to those values while honoring the diversity of the children we serve.
How We Care
Our approach is grounded in Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI), a trauma-informed model built on empowering, connecting, and correcting. At its center is the idea of “felt safety,” not only keeping children safe but helping them feel safe. Our staff are trained to build stable attachments, offer reassurance, and create the predictable routines that let a child finally exhale and begin to heal. Everything we do points toward three goals: provide a safe community, nurture healing, and create hope.
Three goals
- Provide a safe community
- Nurture healing
- Create hope
Our Ministries
We surround each child and young adult with the care they need to thrive through a growing family of ministries:
Sunny Glen Foster Program
Accepts placements from DFPS and provides a stable home for children on our campus in San Benito.
Learn more →Supervised Independent Living at the Allen House
Helps older youth build life skills, independence, and a plan for the future through transitional living.
Learn more →Poenisch Counseling Center
Provides trauma-informed counseling and mental health support.
Learn more →Sunny Glen Refugee Program
Provides a safe and welcoming place for children to heal while they await reconnection with a new-found support system in the USA.
Learn more →Across every ministry, and in partnership with community resources throughout South Texas, we pursue family reunification whenever it is possible and in the child’s best interest, working to return trusting relationships to the family.
Our Values
Everything we do is guided by our PROMISE: Professionalism, Respect, Openness, Motivation, Integrity, Support, and Empathy. These core values shape how our team cares for every child. Read more about them on our Values page.
Corporate Team
Board of Directors
Recommended reading
Join Us
We believe Christian love, compassion, and stability can transform lives and break the cycle of abuse and neglect. It is our prayer that every child we serve will one day look back on their time here as a genuine blessing. We invite you to explore our story, learn about our values, and join us as a donor, volunteer, or partner in making a lasting difference for children and families in need.