History
In 1983 RAINBOWS was formally established in Chicago, USA by Suzy Yehl Marta to provide support for children, youth and adults who were experiencing a significant loss through death, separation, divorce or other life-altering change.
In 1988 RAINBOWS was formally established as an organisation in Ireland with the training of thirty six people to act as Registered Directors, competent to train facilitators and co-ordinators throughout the country. Since then RAINBOWS has been developed in over six hundred locations throughout the country. These locations are predominantly in school settings while some are located in parish and pastoral centres and other social agencies.
The National Office was established in 1997 in Loreto Centre, Crumlin Road, Dublin, to handle the overall administration of RAINBOWS in Ireland.
Today there are over six hundred sites established where the programmes operate, with over sixty Registered Directors trained to provide training of co-ordinators and facilitators throughout the country.