CONNECTING THE RAINBOW....

In only four years, Reece's Rainbow has found adoptive families for more than 300 children with Down syndrome and other special needs around the world!



The next step in the growth of our ministry is to educate and empower the birth families of children with Down syndrome living abroad. This is the only path to social change and inclusion for our children! We need the support of our national Down Syndrome parent groups to help us with this mission!




"Connecting the Rainbow" is our birth family outreach program.

It is led by Shelley Bedford (family pictured above), who is a member of the RR Leadership Team, a former special education teacher, and adoptive parent of three children with Down syndrome from Ukraine, Serbia, and Bulgaria. CTR provides fellowship, support, education, and therapeutic resources for the birth families of children with Down syndrome in foreign countries. We already have a strong program in Bulgaria, and are building a relationship in Ukraine now as well! Ukraine is our largest and most successful adoption program, so our efforts there are vital.

Please read more about Connecting the Rainbow here!




"In my heart there’s a passion, in my mind a realization of the possibilities, and in my living room, proof of the combination of the two."





--Meredith Cornish, RR Director of Family Adoption Services for Ukraine, with her adopted son, Micah



Reece's Rainbow will be attending the DownsEd Convention on September 22, 2010 in Kiev, Ukraine!

Your donations towards the cost of this trip will make it possible for our leadership team to:



Meet the members of the Down Syndrome Association of birth families in Kiev
Celebrate their brand new Down syndrome therapy clinic
Build a partnership with them and DownsEd to further support people with Down syndrome throughout Ukraine
Reach out to families living in rural Ukraine who have even less access to information and services
Meet with a special needs “club” in one region that provides therapies and aid to families raising their children with Down syndrome and other special needs.
Visit several orphanages and finally meet the directors, caregivers, and children in person
Plant the seed of truth about the potential and value of our children with Down syndrome
Educate the staff on simple techniques to better stimulate and encourage the children
Bring toys, therapeutic items, and translated literature for the staff to use with all of the SN children
Share photos and stories of the children who have already been adopted from Ukraine and how well they are doing now
Improve the quality of care of our orphans with Down syndrome while they are waiting for their "forever families".
Solidify our relationships there to improve the process of adoption going forward


You can not put a price on the value of a face to face meeting , and we pray this trip will open doors and hearts for future trips, including ones where other volunteers and missionaries can join us! We estimate the cost of this trip to be approx $10,000, so we need your help! Even $10 or $20 from each person who recieves this e-mail will go a long way! We also encourage all of our DSA's to consider a larger gift, to show your support for these courageous families abroad.



Click here for more details about this trip, and to DONATE NOW!

www.reecesrainbow.com

Reece's Rainbow Down Syndrome Adoption Ministry | PO Box 4024 | Gaithersburg | MD | 20885