Rainbows (organization)
Rainbows is the name of a non- governmental non-profit organization whose main field of activity is the group educational support of children and adolescents after the separation or divorce of their parents. Furthermore, children and young people receive support individually, in the family or in a special group after the death of a loved one.
Rainbows was founded in 1983 by Suzy Yehl Marta in Chicago , because up until then children and young people hardly had the opportunity to seek professional help when parents separated. The motto of Rainbows was: "Guiding Kids through Life's storms" (freely translated: "Guides children through stormy times"). Rainbows offers discussions with parents in addition to group educational support, but the association sees itself primarily as an advocate for the children.
Rainbows promotes the creative, playful processing of children's experiences of separation and loss between the ages of 4 and 17. The children and young people are looked after by specially trained educators .
The children and young people affected should gain new self-confidence at rainbows , learn to perceive and express their own needs. In this way they are supported in accepting their new family situation. The aim of Rainbows is to convey hope, optimism and joie de vivre for the future to the children and young people affected.
Rainbows Austria
Founded in 1991; Rainbows groups are now offered from Burgenland to Tyrol . Since its inception, more than 30,000 children and young people in Austria have been accompanied by the association after the separation of their parents or the death of a loved one (as of February 2017).
In 2007 the managing director Dagmar Bojdunyk-Rack was elected Austrian of the year for her humanitarian commitment .