RainbowKids - Who We Are

Welcome to RainbowKids!                                               

The love, acceptance, and sense of belonging that children experience in healthy families enables them to thrive. Children who lack this nurturing and permanency, who grow up in out-of-family care, frequently fail to thrive and grow into mentally-healthy and strong adults.  Families are essential to children, everywhere. 

RainbowKids began in 1996 as an advocacy resource for special needs and older children who languish in orphanages around the world.  Since that time, it has grown into a network of advocacy and humanitarian organizations that support children and families through united efforts.

RainbowKids is not an adoption agency.  We are the largest central resource linking families, adoption professionals, humanitarian organizations, orphan-care and support missions, and children living out their lives in orphanages and group homes.

Since 1996, more than 40,000 children have found families through the advocacy of RainbowKids.com. 

Our advocacy for children is a gift to children and families everywhere. We do not accept donations from families, but encourage those who wish to support vulnerable children to visit our Ways to Help area on RainbowKids.

Article Submissions:

RainbowKids welcomes article submissions on a variety of topics of interest to our readers.

We enjoy hearing from families, who often share their stories of adopting, parenting, and loving a child who entered their family through adoption.

We often publish articles on medical issues, adoptee-perspectives, orphan care, advocacy, and special needs.

Submission Guidlines:

• Typically our family stories are around 1000 words but we can be flexible if the story needs space to develop
• Keep in mind this is your family story so we ask that you do not overshare the personal parts of your child’s/children’s story including images of your child in a vulnerable state undergoing medical care. Ask yourself, "Would I want this picture shared if it were me hurting?"
• Submit in Word document. If that is not possible you can send the body of the story in the email
• We ask that you do not use last names. If you choose, you can also change your child's/children’s first names as well. 
• 2-3 jpeg images not attached to the body of the article but as separate attachments within the same email.

Volunteer with RainbowKids

Some people choose to give their time, some their talents, and still others their prayers. We are so grateful to everyone who supports our work. Please see below for some ways you can help.

• Share Your Story!
• Become a Child Advocate and help children find families

About Martha Osborne:

Martha Osborne is the founder of the RainbowKids Adoption & Child Welfare website.  Over several decades of advocacy for vulnerable children and orphans, her focus has been on finding real-world solutions to the growing issue of children living out their childhoods in group homes, foster-care, and orphanages.

Martha is an adoptee, and mother to five children who entered her family through adoption at various ages and from difficult beginnings.  With time, love, dedication, therapies, prayer, and a few bumps and struggles along the way, those five children have grown into vibrant young people and adults.  Contact Martha via Email.

Honors and Awards: Congressional Angels in Adoption Award, the North American Council on Adoptable Children Friend of Adoption Award (NACAC), Joint Council on International Children’s Service’s Maureen Evan’s Outstanding Service Award, and most recently, the 2014 Gladney Center Friend of Adoption Award

About Julie Barclay: 

Julie Barclay’s life has been dedicated to children. A former public school teacher and summer camp counselor-in-training director from the Pacific Northwest, Julie has worked with varied populations of children, always advocating for those most vulnerable.  After having a biological daughter and son, Julie and her husband welcomed home an infant son from Korea in 2002. 

Just over a year later, the Barclay’s family grew again. After seeing the photolisting of a 6-year-old boy with a heart condition in China, the family welcomed home their third son.  In 2008 the Barclay clan welcomed their 5^th child and 4^th son, a 6-year-old from Ethiopia.

 In 2013 Julie’s life was touched by adoption one more time.  Through a genetic testing service, a cousin had found her and reached out with a Facebook message, “I believe we are cousins, would you like to connect via email?”  The sender? Martha Osborne, founder of RainbowKids.com

 Since that day, Martha (adoptee and mom to 5 through Intercountry adoption) and Julie have created a seamless blend between their families. Together, they have joined their passion to advocate for vulnerable children and have expanded RainbowKids from an adoption advocacy website, to a dedicated child and family welfare website.

Other Volunteers and Advocates:

RainbowKids has a dedicated Child Advocacy Network that brings together individuals and organizations dedicated to helping the worlds most vulnerable children.  We encourage you to visit our Get Involved area to learn how you might partner with us to change the world for many hurting children.