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 and have developed some amazing resources, programs and community supports. While our focus has been on NSW, families from around Australia have certainly benefited from our advocacy work and our education programs.
We’ve been working with volunteers outside of NSW for a few years to coordinate projects in other states but realise that there is a greater need for Rainbow Families to become a national organisation so that we can support all LGBTQ+ parents and their families across Australia.
We started this conversation a couple of years ago with a community consultation to test the water with organisations and individuals outside of NSW to find out if there was interest in us becoming national. And the feedback was overwhelmingly encouraging of this move.
We are currently in the process of changing our structure so that we can become a national organisation and are working hard setting up the behind the scenes governance structure to make this happen. The next step for this is for our new constitution to be approved at the AGM in November and a new national Board to be formed. If you are interested in joining this Board please let us know here. Following that we will be looking to resource this expansion so that eventually we can have staff working to support our families all over Australia.
It is an exciting time for our organisation and our families, and we can’t wait to better support, connect and empower families across the country.
