Let’s face it, families come in all shapes and sizes. As parents navigate through life’s ups and downs while raising a family, sometimes dealing with changes, such as a partner separation, divorce, death or another form of grief requires reaching out and making new connections. Rainbows peer support program offers the possibility for children, teens, and their parents to learn fresh perspectives on how to deal with changes and heal from them, in a safe and understanding environment. The peer support approach allows participants to move through the various stages of the program together while building trust and a space for sharing their changes with one another. Confidentiality is ensured between program participants and trained volunteer facilitators (who are screened by the site coordinator).
The curricula consists of journals, activities, games, and stories that are designed to help participants express their feelings and move through their healing process.
Each curricula addresses the topics of Self, Family, Belonging, Fears, Blame, Trust, Forgiveness, Stepfamilies, Feelings, Changes, Transitions, Coping Tools, Reaching Out, and Acceptance.
Contact us for more information regarding your selected program.
Sunbeams (Ages 3-5)
Children have an opportunity to grieve the loss in their family and develop appropriate coping skills for life. The process involved weekly meetings with a trained Facilitator in small groups.
Rainbows (Kindergarten – Gr. 8)
Elementary-aged children speak about their feelings and share their grief in a safe environment in small group settings. The groups are led by trained facilitators utilizing age-appropriate materials.
Spectrum (Grade 9-12)
Teens share feelings and thoughts about their loss with others their own age who are experiencing similar life-changing events.
Kaleidoscope (College – Adults)
This program is for college-age young adults relating to, recent or childhood loss.
Prism (Single & Step parents)
The curriculum is designed for single parents and step-parents to help work through their own grief, help their children through grief, and rebuild the family unit.
Silver Linings (Community Crisis
Response)
Community crisis response program for youth, and kindergarten adolescents, which provides emotional strength when their lives are changing due to outside influences.
Structure of Rainbows Program
Rainbows Curricula consists of 12 to 13 weekly meetings, which are 30 to 60 minutes, adjusted to the age group of the participants.
The small groups consist of 5 participants, in the same age group, and the facilitators are loving listeners who guide the discussion and activities.
Rainbows Nanaimo 