On Our 35 Years of Service to the Community
This year, The Rainbow Project is celebrating 35 years of dedicated service assisting young children, adult caregivers, & their families, in the Madison/Dane County community, exposed to trauma, often, multiple traumatic experiences. Traumatic events include child abuse, sex exploitation/trafficking, domestic violence, community violence, neglect, drug endangered children, grief/loss, natural disasters, &/or severe accidents.
In 2014, The Rainbow Project Clinicians helped 934 children & 1,407 adult caregivers. In total, as of December 2014, Rainbow Project Clinicians have worked with 10,146 children & 9,518 adult caregivers since founded in 1980.
The Rainbow Project staff, Board of Directors, other volunteers, & supporters, are proud of the latest in early childhood brain development & neurobiology research which validates the work The Rainbow Project staff have been providing for over three decades. Rainbow Project Clinicians provide comprehensive, specialized trauma recovery for children & families through (10) different programs, including two new projects beginning last year: The Rapid Response Team providing onsite crisis support in emergencies involving young victims, & Smart Start, working in four designated Madison schools & their Kindergarten programs to address barriers to improve attendance for young students. Research finds poor attendance in Kindergarten is correlated with low graduation rates, poor academic success, & behavioral health challenges.
The Rainbow Project began with a staff of three in 1980, & today we have grown to a staff of 20. We have a longstanding partnership & collaboration with many incredible community service providers. Rainbow Project staff are proud to be leaders in partnering with other agencies with the Dane County Child Abuse Community Coordinated Response (CCR) & the Dane County Trauma Informed Summit Initiative, Children’s Mental Health Collaborative, Children of Violent Homes Project, & the Domestic Violence Coordinated Community Response (CCR). Rainbow Project staff provide training presentations on a local, state, national, & international level, & in 2014 provided 38 presentations to 911 participants, on a wide range of topics related to trauma & the impact on children & families. Rainbow Project Clinicians were also honored to work with 21 schools & 20 early childhood programs, in the Madison/Dane County community.
On behalf of The Rainbow Project staff, Board of Directors, Professional Resource Network, Strategic Advisory Council, & Stewards of the Yellow Brick Road members, we thank our funders, donors, volunteers, community leaders, supporters, service provider partners, & especially, the children & families we have had the honor of working with.