Around the Rainbow

Welcome to Around the Rainbow! We are a community-based program in Canada’s National Capital Region that works with lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, two spirit, queer and questioning (LGBTQ) communities and allies to support LGBTQ families in childcare, preschools, schools and the broader community. We are a program of Family Services Ottawa, funded by grants provided by the Counselling Foundation of Canada and the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

What we do

Since 2004, Around the Rainbow has been working with the lesbian, gay, bi, trans, two-spirited and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) community and allies to support the inclusion of diverse families in our childcare and early childhood education systems as well as within schools and the greater community.

Around the Rainbow offers a variety of services, including:

• Workshops on working with LGBTQ families and children from LGBTQ families
• Rainbow Families, a group for LGBTQ families
• Individual and couples counselling for LGBTQ-identified individuals over the age of 18 with an LGBTQ-identified counsellor

Resource Centre

In addition to providing workshops, Around the Rainbow has developed several toolkits for LGBTQ families and educators working with LGBTQ families. The goal of these toolkits is provide information and resources to help both parents and educators create safe, nurturing and inclusive learning environments for all children. An important part of this process is to share knowledge about LGBTQ parents, their children and their unique issues. The toolkits include many tools, handouts, resources, book and website lists, and information about creating inclusive curriculums and creating change in school and preschool systems. It is our hope that these toolkits will encourage and enable dialogue between parents, teachers and childcare providers, helping them to develop the skills and confidence needed to design strategies to respond to the needs and desires of LGBTQ families in school and preschool settings.

Toolkits

• Parent Toolkit – English and French
• Educator Toolkit – English and French
• Resource Toolkit
• Starting and LGBTQ Parent Support Group Toolkit

Recommended Reading

• Baby and Toddler
• Preschool
• Early Readers
• Chapter Books
• Teens
• Facts of Life
• Adults with (a) LGBTQ Parent(s)
• LGBTQ Parenting
• Memoirs and Personal Stories
• LGBTQ Family Theory

Community Calendar

Please visit our Around the Rainbow Community Calendar to find out about upcoming events.