Blog
We're hiring a Project Coordinator in Queensland
Are you passionate about supporting Rainbow Families across Queensland? We’re searching for a dynamic, innovative and self motivated Project Coordinator to lead and manage a variety of projects for Rainbow Families in...
Read MoreYouth Council - What an action packed term + Arctic survial skills in the mix
What an exciting start to the term for both YAC and Little Rainbows! Our first Little Rainbows session was a delightful barbecue and picnic by the river in Concord, complete with crafts,...
Read MoreCreating LGBTIQ+ Inclusive Healthcare in Maternity and Child Health Services
Creating LGBTIQ+ Inclusive Healthcare in Maternity and Child Health Services Guest blog post from Cyrena Hunt-Madden, LGBTIQ+ Project Lead, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District with a wonderful update on inclusion for...
Read MoreInterested in joining the Rainbow Families board?
Board Directors - Rainbow Families Rainbow Families seeks expressions of interest from suitably qualified people to join the Rainbow Families Board of Directors (the Board). All Rainbow Families Directors are unpaid volunteers....
Read MoreRainbow Families Weekend Away - Wrap 2024
Our Rainbow Families weekend away at Kiama was the best! We had a great weekend with 79 adults, 74 children, and 5 babies joining us. It was fantastic to see everyone having...
Read MoreBarnados Fostering Webinar Wrap Up - 2024
Our foster care webinar on Monday night with Barnardos had around 15 people joining us online to learn about the process of becoming foster carers. Amy Weeks, Program Manager of Carer Recruitment...
Read MoreTerm 3 Wrap Up for YAC and Little Rainbows
YAC & Little Rainbows in Term 3 It’s hard to believe another term of fun is over for the YAC and Little Rainbows. In the second half of the term we had...
Read MoreAustralia's Family Law System
Rainbow Families has made a submission to the Federal Parliament's Joint Select Committee on Australia's Family Law System. In preparing our response, we surveyed members of our community about their experiences and views on...
Read MoreRainbow Families Playgroup Packs
Rainbow Families Playgroup Packs 🌈 As Rainbow Families looks to how we can support playgroups around Australia that are supporting LGBTQ+ parents and their families, we would like to offer each playgroup a...
Read MoreNew Online Support Hub Empowers Youth from Rainbow Families
New Online Support Hub Empowers Youth from Rainbow Families Australia’s leading voice for LGBTQ+ families, Rainbow Families Australia, is proud to launch a new online resource in collaboration with Rainbow Families Youth...
Read More🌈 Little Rainbows Youth Council Website Launch
What a great night - we launched Little Rainbows! The Rainbow Families Youth Council proudly launched their new website, an initiative entirely driven and hosted by the young people themselves! The event...
Read MoreChristy Newman's Census 2026 Op-Ed.
Christy Newman September 1, 2024, p27 The Sydney Morning Herald "Opinion: I'm a census fan but, as a queer parent, my family still doesn't count" This may be an unpopular opinion, but...
Read MoreRainbow Families Unites to Go National - It's Official!
LGBTQ+ CHARITY RAINBOW FAMILIES UNITES TO GO NATIONAL IN 2024! We are excited! :) Rainbow Families Australia is proud to announce its move to become a national organisation, uniting state-based groups and strengthening...
Read MoreExciting Start to the Term for YAC and Little Rainbows!
YAC Newsletter It has been a great start to the term for both YAC and Little Rainbows. Little Rainbows started the term with a consultation workshop with the Australian Human Rights Commission about...
Read MoreT. Rowe Price Hosts Training Session with Rainbow Families in Sydney
A warm welcome for Rainbow Families from the T. Rowe Price team for Pride Month! Recently, investment management firm T. Rowe Price’s PRIDE Australia committee hosted a fantastic training session in Sydney...
Read MoreYouth Council (YAC) Term Two Activites 2024
Little Rainbows and YAC are a group of young people from rainbow families who meet throughout the term to socialise and participate in a range of fun activities. Term 2 Newsletter Little...
Read MoreYour EOFY Donation = Safer Rainbow Families! 😊💖🌈
At Rainbow Families, our vision is to enable LGBTQ+ parents and children to thrive - whatever the makeup of their family. That is why we stand up to overcome systemic invisibility and...
Read MoreRainbow Families Board Strategy Day in Sydney
Last week, our board of nine directors gathered in Sydney, with members flying in from Queensland and Victoria, to develop our strategic plan for the next three years. We discussed how Rainbow...
Read MoreThat's a Wrap - Making Rainbow Families 2024
We were thrilled to host our annual Making Rainbow Families Seminar in Sydney on Saturday. The event provided invaluable insights into LGBTQ+ parenting options and was attended by around 40 guests in...
Read MoreNew Western Sydney Playgroup
Rainbow Families is excited to start a new playgroup in Western Sydney. Our playgroups are welcoming spaces for LGBTQ+ parents with babies, toddlers, and preschoolers to connect with other local families. You...
Read MoreResilience Camp 2024
A Wonderful Weekend at the Narrabeen Resilience Camp This year, we returned to Narrabeen for our resilience camp, where 70 people joined us for a weekend full of community, fun, and activities...
Read MoreNavigating Mother's Day and Father's Day
Discussing Mother’s Day and Father’s Day with your Early Childhood Service or School Lots of us dread Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. Have you ever been asked, “Who’s going to be the...
Read MoreEnsuring Safe and Inclusive Health Services: Your Voice Matters!
Access to safe, inclusive health services is crucial for the health and well-being of individuals and families, especially during conception, pregnancy, and the early years of a child's life. Unfortunately, we know...
Read MoreRainbow Families Australia – Creating a National Collaborative Organisation Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who is Rainbow Families? Rainbow Families have been operating as a range of organisations across many States for many years. Some organisations have been more active than others, but we recognise we...
Read MoreTerm 1 Was a Winner for Youth Council and Little Rainbows
Fun times, Good Friends, Great Activities. There were many fun events to round out in Term 1 for YAC and Little Rainbows. Little Rainbows participated in a craft workshop where they created...
Read MoreRainbow Families Child and Family Health Diversity Inclusion Trainer.
Welcome Rachel Reid :) Rachel's journey with Rainbow Families began through teaching at their regular antenatal classes, a role that has fuelled her passion for Child and Family Health. Her love for...
Read MoreNew Strong Safe Fabulous Campaign - A Safe Home Life.
LGBTQIA+ campaign ‘Strong, Safe, Fabulous’, has launched a powerful new anti-domestic and family violence prevention initiative. The campaign aims to break down negative stereotypes and create long-term behaviour change by sharing authentic...
Read MoreOur Newest Rainbow Families Team Member - Meet Marly Greenwood
We're excited to introduce Marly as our new 'Early Learning Family Diversity Inclusion Training Coordinator' With nearly 20 years of experience in teaching and various government roles, Marly brings a wealth of knowledge...
Read MoreYAC Term 1 Update
YAC & Little Rainbows have been busy having the best time ever! A big thanks to coordinator/teacher Geoffrey Parry-Ewing for organising such engaging experiences for our young people :) From Geoffrey: "It...
Read MoreThanks to Will Burton!
We'd like to thank Will for his support and marketing expertise over the years. You helped us sew the seeds of a great organisation that will be supporting Rainbow Families for many...
Read MoreMardi Gras 2024
What a wonderful Mardi Gras season we had this year full of community, fun and fabulous queer entertainment! We started with a wonderful Drag Story Time event at Marrickville library where over...
Read MoreGenea's Progressive Stand On Medicare Rebates for LGBTQ+ Assisted Reproductive Treatment
Great news from our fertility partner; Genea offering Medicare Rebates for LGBTQ+ IVF We're thrilled to share exciting news from our fertility partner, Genea, as they take a pioneering step to ensure...
Read MoreBarnardos Fostering Webinar Wrap Up
Insights from Barnardos Foster Care Seminar and Rhys and Helen's Parenting Journey The recent Barnardos Foster Care Seminar, led by Rainbow Families EO Ashley Scott, took a straightforward dive into fostering and...
Read MoreThe Youth Council Have Been Busy in Term 4! :)
YAC and Little Rainbows Term 4 Update Icecream and Escape Rooms! It has been a fun start to Term Four for YAC and Little Rainbows which started with a treasure hunt and...
Read MoreGenea join Forces with Rainbow Families as our Fertility Partner
We're excited to share some big news: Genea is now a sponsor of Rainbow Families, bringing their expertise in fertility treatments to our community. Rainbow Families EO Ashley Scott said, "We've teamed...
Read MoreHalloween Disco 2023
Last weekend saw our annual Halloween Disco - and this year was amazing again. Over 350 people braved the heat to come and be part of one of the biggest days in...
Read MoreProsper (Project Australia) is Seeking Volunteers for our WE ARE SURVIVORS! Project
Prosper (Project Australia) is seeking volunteers to assist with our new project called “We Are Survivors!”. The aim of the project is to develop an online hub of information, support and resources...
Read MoreKiama October Weekend Away was a winner!
The Kiama October Weekend Away was a raging success with over 60 families/100+ people travelling to the gorgeous south coast location - Big 4 Easts Beach, Kiama, to connect with other Rainbow...
Read MoreUNSW and Rainbow Families join forces to research the unmapped experiences of LGBTQ+ families and their children in Australia
Recognising the limited research conducted in Australia on LGBTQ+ parents and their children, Rainbow Families and UNSW Sydney have formed a partnership to support a new generation of researchers focused in this...
Read MoreCASTING CALL: WANT TO BE IN OUR TV COMMERCIAL FOR FAIRY & RAINBOW FAMILIES?
Feature your family in our Fairy TV Commercial for Mardi Gras 2024! Fairy Dishwashing and Rainbow Families are teaming up again to create a TV commercial featuring our families, to be aired...
Read MoreFind out what's been happening with YACS and Little Rainbows this month :)
YAC and Little Rainbows Report by YACS Coordinator Geoffrey Parry-Ewing Term 3 During Term 3, YAC and Little Rainbows were involved in a number of fun workshops and activities. We started the...
Read MoreNational Autism Strategy Consultation
The Federal Government is developing a national Autism strategy to ensure that the needs of Autistic people and their families are being met. A consultation process is taking place and input is...
Read MoreEarly Childhood Australia Family Diversity Training Roll Out - Help Us spread the Word
RAINBOW FAMILIES AND ECA ROLL OUT FAMILY DIVERSITY TRAINING, NATIONWIDE. And it's free for educators. As you have probably heard by now, Rainbow Families and Early Childhood Australia (ECA) have joined forces...
Read MoreJoin Our Board
Board Directors - Rainbow Families Rainbow Families is seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified people to join the Rainbow Families Board of Directors (the Board). All Rainbow Families Directors are unpaid...
Read MoreShare Your Rainbow Family Story With Us!
Rainbow Families extends a warm invitation to our rainbow families; to share with us their unique journey to becoming parents. We recognize that our families have a wealth of experiences, insight and...
Read MorePaul and Trent’s Adoption Story
Sponsored content from our fostering and adoption partner - Barnardos How we became a family of five We always wanted to be parents. We heard that Barnardos did same-sex adoption, so we...
Read MoreWe Are Saying ‘Yes’ To The Voice
It was a decade of tireless campaigning, but in the end, it was the unwavering support of friends, families, and those who believed in doing what's right that led to our victory...
Read MoreSupporting Families Around Australia
When we started Rainbow Families in 2015, we had a vision of supporting, connecting and empowering LGBTQ+ parents in NSW. Over the past 8 years we have worked with thousands of families...
Read MoreRainbow Families and Early Childhood Australia Collaborate to Champion Family Diversity.
Rainbow Families and Early Childhood Australia Collaborate to Champion Family Diversity. In a positive stride towards a more inclusive society, Rainbow Families and Early Childhood Australia (ECA) have joined forces to introduce...
Read MoreFree Inclusive Birthing Language Poster for Midwives and Birth Workers
FREE INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE POSTER FOR MIDWIVES AND BIRTHWORKERS Rainbow Families have teamed up with Midwives Connecting Community and are excited to announce our pledge to send a free inclusive birthing language kit...
Read MoreNew Rainbow Families Catch-Up Group Kicking Off in Tasmania :)
Rainbow Families is kicking off a brand new catch-up group in Tasmania to help local families connect with each other. Driving the group are local couple Melissa and Alisha who said; "We...
Read More'Making Rainbow Families' Seminar Wrap Up - 2023
On Sunday, June 25, we hosted our much anticipated, "2023 Making Rainbow Families" seminar. The event brought together 70 people from around the country who were looking to learn more about starting...
Read MoreFamily Pride Portraits: A big thanks to David from Canon :)
The recent photo shoot with David from Canon celebrated our diverse rainbow community at the recent Family Pride Day in May. What a great looking bunch we are! David's free family portrait...
Read MoreMeet Geoffrey Our Youth Advisory Council Coordinator
Geoffrey is one of our newest team members at Rainbow Families and is heading up the Youth Council that currently operates out of Summer Hill. Geoffrey is a fantastic addition to our...
Read MoreSurrogacy Australia’s Support Service
We are excited to announce a new partnership with Surrogacy Australia. Surrogacy Australia is a wonderful organisation that aims to enhance the understanding of and access to best practice domestic surrogacy arrangements...
Read MoreFamily Pride Wrap Up 2023
What a fabulous day! A massive thank you to everyone that came to Family Pride on Sunday May 7th at Marrickville Town Hall. This year around 500 people joined us to celebrate...
Read MoreEarly Years Strategy Submission
Last month Rainbow Families made a submission to the Federal Government's Early Years Strategy Consultation. In preparation of this submission, we consulted with our community. Thank you to all the parents that...
Read MoreResilience Camp
Last weekend 100 people joined us for our fifth Resilience Camp. At the beautiful Point Wolstoncroft on the Central Coast we enjoyed the stunning surrounds of Lake Macquarie and the wonderful hospitality...
Read MoreMarketing Coordinator Position
We are looking for a Marketing Coordinator to join our team. This two day per week paid, work from home position will support our volunteer marketing team spread the work about the...
Read MoreEarly Years Strategy
The Australian Government is developing an Early Years Strategy to shape its vision for the future of Australia’s children and their families. Recognising how critical the early years are for children’s development...
Read MoreABC Kids Listen - World Pride Special
Join Ruby as she sits down with Worl Pride Ambassador Shane Jenek, mum Katie and a rainbow of kids to talk about all things family, love and pride. WorldPride is a huuuge, fun,...
Read MoreThank You Dror
We would like to thank and say goodbye to the wonderful Rainbow Families board member Dror (he/him). If you’ve come to say hello to us at Mardi Gras Fair Day in recent...
Read MoreWoolworths Rainbow Cake
We are excited to announce that Woolworths has launched a brand new limited edition Rainbow Layer Cake to help support Rainbow Families and our work with LGBTQ+ families. With fun, colourful layers...
Read MoreOnce In A Lullaby
‘Once in a Lullaby' is Mia Mala McDonald’s long-awaited book of photographic portraits and interwoven stories of Australian LGBTQIA+ families. The contributions shared by participants are reflections on the politics of family,...
Read MoreKulander's Fostering Journey
This is a guest blog post from Kulander as part of a paid sponsorship from Barnardos. My name is Kulander and I’ve been fostering with Barnardos for over 10 years. Back then...
Read MoreYouth Council - 2023 events calendar
The Youth Council has branched out to accommodate younger and older audiences: Little Rainbows is open to the younger 10-12 age group, and offers an opportunity for social connection and age appropriate activities....
Read MorePride Cookies
In a delicious collaboration with Qantas and Rainbow Families, Byron Bay Cookie Company is bringing back its popular PRIDE Cookie in 2023, to coincide with World Pride in Sydney. Baked to perfection...
Read MoreLucky Colouring In Activity
You've probably seen our Sydney World Pride mascot - Lucky. We know that not all families will be able to come to Sydney to celebrate World Pride, so we have created some...
Read MoreVolunteers Opportunity Luna Park - 12th of February
At our exciting Rainbow Families Day at Luna Park on February 12 we will have a stall selling merchandise and connecting families to our resources. We are looking for a few helpers...
Read MoreVolunteer Opportunity Fair Day -19 February
We'd love some help on our stall at Fair Day this year. We'll be selling merchandise, chatting with new community members and generally letting people know about the work we do to...
Read MoreThank You Scott
Our Board bid a fond farewell to the last founding Board / Committee member in 2022, as our Co-Chair Scott Brunelle (he/him) stepped down. Scott leaves an incredible legacy as a Board...
Read MoreFar Out Audio Adventures
BOLDING GOING…WHERE NO RAINBOW FAMILY HAS GONE BEFORE! A rainbow family is going far out into space, blasting off to Jupiter in the first of a series of five thrilling audio adventures...
Read MoreCalling All Primary And Secondary Teachers
Rainbow Families is looking at bringing together a group of people interested in increasing the understanding of rainbow families (LGBTQ+ parents and their children) in the primary and secondary education system. We...
Read MoreThank You Robbie
After a wonderful three years of service, Rainbow Families Board said goodbye to Robbie Robertson(he/him) at the 2022 AGM. While Robbie will continue to serve on the Marketing Committee, he hasbeen a...
Read MoreLGBTQ+ Ministry of Health Consultations
Ministry of Health is currently undertaking a major review of the Blue Book. Major reviews of the Blue Book are undertaken every 5 years. It is very important for this review that...
Read MoreRainbow Families Pride Photo Competition
Entries are now open for World Pride Photo Competition, which is proudly supported by Rainbow Families. The amazing Jan from Spitting Image Photography is conducting workshops on 8th, 18th & 19th January...
Read MorePlaygroup Farewells Stacey
It is with great appreciation we acknowledge the two year volunteer contribution Stacey has made to the Erskineville Playgroup. If it were not for people like Stacey we would not be able...
Read MoreOur Families In The Census
The ABS has released data on same sex families from the Census. It is important to note that despite us lobbying the government since 2016 for a census that accurately counts our...
Read MoreExpanding Your Family Through Foster Care
Ever thought about adding to your family? Foster Care is a wonderful way to start or grow your family while supporting a young person in need. We held a webinar exploring the...
Read MoreThank You -Bridget Muir
Bridget (they/she) has been an active member of Rainbow Families since 2017, and they loved it so much they also started volunteering in the same year. In 2018 they decided to offer...
Read MoreRainbow Families Around Australia
We know there are LGBTQ+ parents across Australia. Rainbow Families is a NSW based organisation which is why all of our events are in NSW. We do our best to support families from...
Read MoreThank You– Amy McGowan
Amy (she/her) has been a strong voice for the Rainbow Families Equality team during her tenure on the Board. She leaves an impressive legacy of advocacy and bravery that directly benefits so...
Read MoreHalloween Disco
Earlier this month we celebrated Halloween with our annual Halloween Disco. This much anticipated annual event has been on hold since 2019 so for many families it was their first Rainbow Families...
Read MoreIntroducing Mon - Our Youth Council Coordinator
Introducing Mon Enriquez, one of our newest team members at Rainbow Families, who will be heading up the Youth Advisory Council as it comes out of hibernation and resumes its face-to-face meetings...
Read MorePride Inner West
With Sydney World Pride just around the corner the Inner West Council is activating the Inner West in conjunction with Sydney World Pride. Pride Inner West will show case a range of...
Read MoreLittle Rainbows
We are very excited to launch our Youth Council’s resource – Little Rainbows. Over the past couple of years, a dedicated group of young people from Rainbow Families has been working on...
Read MoreYouth Council Is Back
Rainbow Families’ Youth Council is back in full swing! After last week’s consultation, the group have started planning their activities for the term ahead which may or may not include a scavenger...
Read MoreJoin Our Board
Board Directors - Rainbow Families Rainbow Families is seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified people to join the Rainbow Families Board of Directors (the Board). All Rainbow Families Directors are unpaid...
Read MoreFairy - Share Your Story
Fairy Dishwashing is proud to be partnering with Rainbow Families to create a piece of video content for Sydney World Pride 2023. We understand that all families have a lot on their...
Read MoreYAC Is Back
Spring has sprung and with a new public holiday in the bag and another public holiday just around the corner, we thought that we’d heard all the good news that these school...
Read MoreMardi Gras Parade
We have brilliant news that we just cannot keep to ourselves! It’s time to get excited because the staff and volunteers at Rainbow Families are thrilled to announce that we will be...
Read MoreVolunteer Profile - Rackas
The Rainbow Families community is continually growing thanks to the hard work and dedication of our volunteers. One of the great areas of growth is in our family catch ups, and it’s...
Read MoreSupporting LGBTIQA+ Students In Schools - Webinar Series
Delivered over 3 months via Zoom, this series provides practical tools to assist school staff in understanding and supporting the needs of LGBTIQA+ students from kindergarten to high school. The webinars will...
Read MoreLife. Pass It On
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by IVF Australia Since the pandemic began, demand for sperm and egg donors have skyrocketed. We’ve also seen a spike in demand for eggs and sperm, with...
Read MoreInclusive Language For Midwives And Birth Workers
Inclusive language is a way of acknowledging and respecting the diversity of peoples’ bodies, genders and relationships. As midwives and birth workers, using inclusive language supports people to feel safe within the...
Read MoreThank You Kylie
Rainbow Families CoChair for the past 18 months, Kylie Gwynne, has stepped back from the Board. Kylie joined the Rainbow Families Board in 2019 and has contributed knowledge and expertise to Rainbow...
Read MoreActive Australia Sports Carnivals
Our Sports Carnival Series across NSW wrapped up last weekend with our final event in Macarthur. Our first event was in Sydney on a rainy day in November where despite the drizzle...
Read MoreWe're Hiring
We are looking for someone to join the Rainbow Families team as a Project Coordinator. The Project Coordinator will be responsible for planning and delivering a variety of projects for Rainbow Families,...
Read MoreStacey and Sarah’s Fostering Journey
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Barnardos Australia When talking with Stacey and Sarah a few things become clear. Their open-mindedness, their commitment to children, their nurturing natures and their ability to love...
Read MoreMidwives Supporting LGBTQ+ Parents and Families
We have worked with the Australian College Of Midwives and developed an LGBTQ+ inclusion training package for midwives. This education package will assist midwives to increase their understanding of the challenges LGBTQ+...
Read MoreStrong Safe Fabulous Honour Award Finalist
We are very excited that our family violence prevention program Strong Safe Fabulous is a finalist in the ACON Honour Awards! Strong Safe Fabulous has been recognised for providing support and resources...
Read MoreWe Built Our Family Through Foster Care
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Barnardos Australia Mark and Todd are foster carers with Barnardos Australia. They are currently caring for 3 children under 5 years of age. Here is their...
Read MoreInclusive Language On Medicare Forms
Bill Shorten’s recent intervention to reverse the use of gender-neutral language in a Medicare form was disappointing to many people who value equality and inclusion. It was particularly disappointing to me and...
Read MoreLGBTQ+ Neurodiverse Families Facebook Group
Our Rainbow Families Neurodiverse Families Facebook Group is for LGBTIQ+ parents and carers who are Autistic and/or ADHD and may also have children who are. We welcome families who identify as being...
Read MoreVolunteer Profile - Snez
Meet Snez the wonderful volunteer who is putting on the new catch ups in the Panania, Liverpool, Bankstown area. Snez tells us about her family, why she wanted to start a group...
Read MoreMaking Rainbow Families Seminar
This month we held our Making Rainbow Families Seminar – a day for LGBTQ+ people considering parenthood to explore the options and meet the people that can help make their dream a...
Read MoreBounce - Resilience Camp
Bounce is a weekend resilience camp for Rainbow Families held in Narrabeen. This year was our biggest camp with over 100 people attending from Friday night to Sunday afternoon. An action packed...
Read MoreFamily Pride
Family Pride is a celebration of family diversity. It is an opportunity to bring together our families and the community to celebrate, socialise and reaffirm that we are strongest when we stand...
Read MoreParenting Teens Webinar Series
Following a survey of the needs and challenges of LGBTQ+ parents and carers, Rainbow Families is hosting a monthly online webinar series to equip parents and carers with knowledge and evidence-based strategies...
Read MoreWe Want To Hear About Your Experience With Childcare
Rainbow Families, working with Early Childhood Australia, the peak early childhood advocacy organisation, is working to develop professional learning resources for educators on family diversity and how to support children of LGBTQ+...
Read MoreRainbow Families First Parent Peer Support Program Draws To A Close
November last year saw the launch of our first Parent Peer Support Program. The free program ran for 20 weeks and involved LGBTQ+ parents who were either seeking or wanting to give...
Read MoreLGBTIQA+ and pronouns explained
Ever wondered what the acronym means. What all the letters stand for. And how to use pronouns. Lars from our Youth Council is featured in this quick explainer video.
Read MoreGrowing Your Family: Fertility Treatment Considerations For Same-Sex Female Couples
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by IVF Australia It has been said that when you have a child it is like a piece of your heart is now walking around in the...
Read MoreLaunch alert: My Shadow is Pink
My Shadow is Pink. Book and Short Film My Shadow is Pink is a ~10 minute animated short film about a young boy, born with a pink shadow that loves princess, fairies...
Read MoreAre you passionate about supporting and uplifting community?
Are you passionate about supporting and uplifting community? Perhaps you have an idea or project in mind? We need YOU! Our volunteer Community, Education and Welfare Sub-Committee are on the lookout for...
Read MoreMy First Mardi Gras
Has your family never experienced the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade together before, but always wanted to? Well we are looking for a family just like yours! We are seeking...
Read MoreVolunteer Profile - Lara
Lara has been volunteering with Rainbow Families to help organise our recent sports carnival / end of year event. Lara replied to a call out we did in our newsletter looking for...
Read MoreYouth Resource - What Do Your Kids Want In Our New Resource?
Our Youth Advisory Council is designing a resource for children and young people who live in rainbow families. They want to hear from you about what you think a youth resource should...
Read MoreProud Posters
We have some absolutely beautiful new posters available for you to download, print and hang up in your house, school or workplace. The posters are part of our #StrongSafeFabulous campaign which is...
Read MoreMeet Steve - Our Development Specailst
We are delighted to welcome Steve Clarke to the Rainbow Families team. Steve is working part time as a Development Specialist - looking at new revenue opportunities for Rainbow Families so can...
Read MoreBern's Lockdown Story
COVID-19: Testing us all By Rita Bratovich “Lockdown was like nothing I ever thought I would have to do. Jess and I both have pretty full-on full time jobs. Add to that...
Read More#StrongSafeFabulous Website
#StrongSafeFabulous has launched a new website with a loads of resources for supporting families with LGBTIQA+ people in them. At #Strong#Safe#Fabulous we believe that all families have a right to live...
Read MoreLGBTQ+ Parent School Survey
The LGBTQ+You School Survey is an Australian-wide project at Macquarie University. This study is looking at what Australian schools are like for Students, Staff and Parents who identify as LGBTQ+. The survey...
Read MoreParent peer support program
PARENT PEER SUPPORT PROGRAM What is it? The Rainbow Families Parent Peer Support Program aims to provide parents with community connection and support from a peer volunteer who has similar experiences. We...
Read MoreFree Activity Packs
We are super excited to announce that we have another 400 free activity packs to send out to families to help keep your little ones occupied. We know that the COVID situation...
Read MoreRainbow Families Youth Advisory Council News
Over the past couple of months our Youth Advisory Council (YAC) have been working hard developing a new resource for young people by young people in our community. The 2021 YAC are...
Read MoreColouring In With Joyce Maynge
The fabulous Joyce Maynge has created a beautiful colouring book to help pass the time this school holidays. The colouring in book features Joyce doing all of her favourite post lock down...
Read MoreVolunteer Profile Steve
You may have noticed that we have a new website. Putting together a new website is no small task and for a community organisation like Rainbow Families the budget is tight -...
Read MoreIncluding diverse families on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day
We are excited about a new resource supporting LGBTQ+ families at schools on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. We know Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are important days to celebrate, but they...
Read MoreYouth Advisory Council Update
Our Youth Advisory Council (YAC) has had an exciting start to the year thanks to our friends at Surry Hills Neighbourhood Centre. The YAC met monthly and the wonderful Stephen Lunny ran...
Read MoreOur diverse families
Earlier in the year we had a photo shoot with some wonderful families from our community. It was a relaxed fun filled afternoon, with the aim of capturing real life families doing...
Read More#StrongSafeFabulous Event
On May 2nd Rainbow Families from across Sydney came together for our first face to face event in over a year. The day was all about families being #StrongSafeFabulous, with lots of opportunities...
Read MorePen Pal Program
Our pen pal program with Rainbow Families USA has started with a bang. There are 20 Aussies and 20 Americans that are busily writing to each other, sharing what life is like on the...
Read MoreFundraise On Facebook For Rainbow Families
Is your birthday coming up? You can now support Rainbow Families by fundraising on Facebook for us. There are a range of different ways you can support our work just using your...
Read MoreVolunteer Profile Bridget
Bridget is a longstanding volunteer who has done so much for our community. Bridget joined the Rainbow Families Committee in 2018 and started looking for projects they could get involved with and...
Read MoreMardi Gras 2021
Thank you to everyone who helped make the Mardi Gras parade a wonderful celebration for our community in March.
Read MoreVolunteer Profile Will
You may have noticed that our Instagram feed is looking very professional lately. That is thanks to the wonderful Will. Will joined our marketing committee in September and put his hand up to manage our Instagram...
Read More#StrongSafeFabulous
Celebrate #StrongSafeFabulous Relationships this Mardi Gras! We invite you to celebrate #StrongSafeFabulous relationships in a new social media campaign to launch on the 1st of March. Developed by Prosper (Project Australia) and...
Read MorePen Pal Club
We have started a pen-pal club with Rainbow Families USA! Children can learn about another culture, share their own stories about their family and culture in Australia, have an opportunity to make...
Read MoreVolunteer Profile Bern and Di
Meet the wonderful team behind our Mardi Gras Float! Anyone who has marched with us in the past will know how much work goes into organising our Mardi Gras float. Bern and...
Read MoreWe asked what matters – here’s how you responded to the 2021 Rainbow Families Survey
We asked what matters – here’s how you responded to the 2021 Rainbow Families Survey Late last year as part of their company-wide Impact Day, Deloitte carried out some research with Rainbow...
Read MoreMarketing volunteers
We are looking for some skilled volunteers to join our marketing committee. The committee meets monthly and work across most of the exciting projects that Rainbow Families delivers to the community. Roles...
Read MoreRainbow Families looking for rainbow families
Everywhere we look this time of year, advertisers are talking about families. But too often, those photos do not show diverse families. This can be especially difficult for those who live in...
Read MoreNeurodiverse Families Group
A number of studies have shown that autistic people are significantly more likely than the general population to identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender diverse or queer. Therefore the intersection with Autism shapes...
Read MoreWe want all families to be equal
Our families experience many forms of discrimination, and we don’t think that is OK. One of the ways Rainbow Families supports LGBTQ+ parents is to work to remove this discrimination for our...
Read MoreTrans And Gender Diverse Resources
At Rainbow Families we acknowledge families are created in various ways. We also acknowledge that not all parents identify as “mum” or “dad”, and some parents may be exploring their gender identity,...
Read More5 ways to encourage positive mental health for your kids after separation
While separation or divorce can be a difficult period of change for all family members, children often have a particularly tough time adjusting. It’s natural to worry about how your new family...
Read MoreTallay - Volunteer Profile
Tallay is a proud Gayby who has 2 mothers. She was raised in Canberra where she was acutely aware that her family was different. This led her to find an accepting community...
Read MoreHelping kids to stay safe
A new initiative tailored for children living in Rainbow Families is keeping young people safe. Developed by Prosper (Project Australia) and Rainbow Families, the newly launched program helps young people to understand...
Read MoreOne Nation NSW Religion Bill - What You Can Do
One Nation has introduced a bill in the NSW Parliament which contains a number of alarming provisions which could have a range of really negative impacts for our families. In NSW, our...
Read MoreDo you want to join our Youth Advisory Council?
We are looking for 16 young people to join us as we start an exciting new project for our Youth Advisory Council (YAC). In partnership with Surry Hills Neighbourhood Centre we are...
Read MoreLove Makes A Family - Podcast
We are launching our podcast all about LGBTQ+ families - Telling the stories of diverse families in Australia. It is an Australian focused podcast providing the community with an audible medium to...
Read MoreSeparation Guide
Separation can be an isolating experience if you are an LGBTQ+ parent. Where do you look for guidance if the models for post-separation parenting that you see around you for just don’t...
Read MoreThe Story Of Auntie Uncle
Hello! I’m Ellie Royce, children’s author. I've just celebrated the release of my new picture book Auntie Uncle: Drag Queen Hero written by me, illustrated by Hannah Chambers and published by Pow!Kids...
Read MoreHUGO The boy with the curious mark
HUGO The boy with the curious mark. Illustrations by Award winning Illustrator Manuela Adreani Written by debut author Yohann Devezy Hugo the boy with the curious mark, is an important book....
Read MoreAdvocacy Update
Recently, the Rainbow Families Advocacy team had a meeting with the Office of the Prime Minister in relation to our Love (Still) Makes a Family report. This was an exciting development for...
Read MoreHelping Hand Activity
This weeks home schooling activity is designed to get your children thinking about five adults they can call on for help if they need.
Read MoreChild Protection Activities
Many of us are stuck at home at the moment and looking for activities to entertain our kids. Rainbow Families is excited to have a number of activities over the coming weeks...
Read MoreFree audio book version of: “The Curse of Grandma Maple”
Guest Blog Post from Jac Tomlins How’s that social isolation with the kids going? Jigsaw puzzles? Monopoly? Baking? Or, like me, have you given up the battle of the screens and embraced...
Read MoreGayby Baby Home Schooling Kit
Many of us are home schooling our kids for the first time and looking for interesting ways to educate and entertain them. Our friends at Gayby Baby have made it simple for...
Read MoreReligious discrimination bills update
Towards the end of last year, the Government released a second draft of the religious discrimination bills. For our families, these Bills are even worse than the first drafts. While Rainbow Families...
Read MoreHow to celebrate Mardi Gras at Early Learning Centres
It’s officially Mardi Gras season, and while some members of our community are working hard at the gym, for parents it’s a time to think about how we can talk to our...
Read MoreReligious Discrimination Submission
We have been working with Rainbow Families Queensland and Rainbow Families Victoria on a joint submission into the Religious Discrimination Bill. We do not support the Bills in their current form The 2nd exposure draft has not...
Read MoreTravelling with your baby
Our guest blogger Rachael Matthews from Lotus Point talks about her tips for travelling with your baby over the holidays. Here are some travel tips I have come across when doing some research...
Read MoreFamily Law System Submission
Rainbow Families has been invited to contribute to the Federal Parliament's Joint Select Committee on Australia's Family Law System. You might recall that there was a comprehensive Australian Law Reform Commission review...
Read MoreLGBTQ+ Inclusive Kids Books Mega List
Great books bring us togetherSharing a book with your loved ones is a special and meaningful experience. It’s a wonderful way to bond and create lasting memories together. The Mega ListDiverse books...
Read MoreThe drag queen who reads stories to kids
One of our favourite Drag Queens, and regular Drag Story Time host Hannah Conda talked to Junkee about why Drag Story Time is so important to her.
Read MoreFinding Identity On Their Terms
The fabulous Dr. Red Ruby Scarlet has been at it again. Talking all things queer in Early Childhood Education. Check out her latest article published in Every Child Magazine last month. Download...
Read More50+ LGBTIQ organisations and Allies support affirming Religious Discrimination Bill
More than 50 LGBTIQ+ and ally organisations including Rainbow Families have released a joint statement in support of an affirming Religious Discrimination Act. Anna Brown, CEO of Equality Australia, has called on...
Read MoreLove (still) Makes A Family Report
Rainbow Families has launched a report into discrimination faced by LGBTIQ+ parented families when access Australian Government Services. This report is a follow-up to the 2017 Rainbow Families NSW report Love makes...
Read MoreTrans and Gender Diverse Parents Guide
The Rainbow Families Trans and Gender Diverse Parents Guide details the personal stories of trans and gender diverse (TGD) parents, their partners and children. Each story is unique – reflecting a very...
Read MoreEvery child deserves a legal parent
Rainbow Families is leading the charge with Dowson Turco Lawyers, the NSW Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby and Surrogacy Australia to campaign for law reform in relation to surrogacy laws and the...
Read MoreEarly Years Support Guide
Rainbow Families Early Years Support Guide is the result of collaboration between Rainbow Families and writer, Jacqui Tomlins. The Guide has been developed in response to ongoing requests for information from parents...
Read MoreSchool Support Guide
Rainbow Families School Support Guide is the result of collaboration between Rainbow Families and writer, Jacqui Tomlins. The Guide has been developed in response to ongoing requests for information from parents and...
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