ATLANTA—Fifteen Catholic parishes and schools will be starting “Rainbows” groups shortly that offer elementary age children a place to receive support if they are suffering with a death, a divorce, separation or other painful family loss.

From the vision of a Catholic woman in Chicago more than 15 years ago, Rainbows has grown into a national and international network of groups serving children with grief support services that are designed for their age. Volunteer facilitators, trained by professional staff, lead groups of four to six children for two six-week semesters. The program parallels the school calendar and includes activities and a journal appropriate to the children’s ages.

Archdiocesan sites where Rainbows is offered include: the Cathedral of Christ the King, Atlanta; Church of St. Ann, Marietta; Corpus Christi Church, Stone Mountain; Holy Trinity Church, Peachtree City; Immaculate Heart of Mary School, Atlanta; St. John Neumann Church, Lilburn; St. John the Evangelist School, Hapeville; St. Joseph Church, Marietta; St. Jude the Apostle Church, Atlanta; St. Lawrence Church, Lawrenceville; St. Mary’s Church, Rome; St. Michael the Archangel Church, Woodstock; St. Oliver Plunkett Church, Snellville, St. Patrick Church, Norcross; and St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Alpharetta. Contact the individual church or school for more information or to register for the program.

The growth of the program led to the establishment of a state chapter in Georgia in 1991 and more than 3,000 children are served annually at over 275 sites.

In addition to Rainbows, age specific programs are available at some sites for high school age youth, college age young adults and single parents and stepparents. Because of community grants, families do not pay to enroll their children. For general information, contact the Rainbows state chapter office at (770) 321-9636.