Sunnyhaven exists because of the power of families coming together to find the best supports for their children with disability.
Our story begins in 1951, when Ted Lacy was searching for suitable care for his son with disability. He formed the St George District Subnormal Children’s Society with the aim of establishing an educational facility.
In 1956, the Rockdale Municipal Council made available the land at Beach St, Kogarah. Our founding families built the South Haven Special School.
By 1974, the Subnormal Children’s Welfare Association (SCWA) supported more than 2500 children and adults with disability with programs across 59 branches around NSW.
In 1977, South Haven Special School came under the management of the Department of Education and the Hurstville Branch of the SCWA was established in Penhurst and created the Sunnyhurst School under the guidance of Mr H.G. Marsden and Dr J Dineen.
During the 1970s families worked together once again to find services and solutions for their children who had finished high school. The SCWA changed its name to The Challenge Foundation of NSW Ltd. It was also during this decade that South Haven and Sunnyhurst amalgamated and became the St George Area Intellectual Disability Service Ltd.
In 2007, acknowledging the hard work, dedication and care from families from Sunnyhurst and South Haven, our name became Sunnyhaven.
Today, we work alongside more than 80 clients and their loved ones in the St George, Sutherland and Bayside areas, offering full-time support with Supported Independent Living, a break and new experiences in Short Term Accommodation (Respite), independence and fun with Day Options and expert advice with Support Coordination. We’re proud of our family foundations and our work as a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the choice and control of people with disability in NSW.