AUSTIN, Texas — The Rainbow Room is oftentimes the first place a child stops when entering into foster care.
The colorful room is filled with everything a child could possibly need, including toiletries, clothes, school supplies, hair care and toys.
The room, which is located inside of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, is run by the nonprofit Partnerships for Children. The nonprofit's mission is "to make tomorrow better than today by supporting and empowering children, youth and families involved with Child Protective Services (CPS)," according to its website.
Partnerships for Children was founded in 2003 and aims to bridge the gap between children in CPS and limited governmental resources. These services include:
- Necessities, which includes diapers, clothing and beds
- Help create holiday memories for children by matching them with community donors
- Raise awareness to adopt the children placed in CPS
- Create smoother transitions into adulthood and independence for the children in the system through life-skills training and financial education
- Build relationships with mentors through music lessons
The room in Travis County is able to serve more than 650 children every month. In 2021 alone, the Rainbow Room helped provide 43,560 diapers, $384,200 worth of resources to children and families, and provided 480 grocery gift cards to families.
The room allows residents and community members three different ways to help support those in need. Residents can donate money, items or their own time. Currently, the room is in need of extra blankets and sheets following the ice storm that came through Central Texas at the beginning of February. Find what items the room needs on a monthly basis through its monthly campaign.
If you would like to donate your time, you are encouraged to host a drive to collect donations at your work, extracurricular or more.
In addition to the Rainbow Room, the Silver Star Rooms provides resources for the elderly population in Travis County from the same facility.