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Current
Issue
A Parent's Perspective
By Lori
Schafer
Rainbow
stories are always moving. Here is one that is especially so …
Laura Barchard is a Rainbow parent who has had a relationship with
the Center since 1992. She swears by the support and successful
programs available at Rainbow. Her two daughters have been "Rainbow
Kids" all their lives. Amanda (age 11) and Erin (age 9) can
still recall and often speak of Rainbow's Family Child Care Provider,
Gloria Goden, who looked after them during the first years of their
little lives.
The early '90s were a critical time in the life of Laura's family.
A resident of a Worcester-based women's shelter, Laura was anxious
to move forward with her life, and desired to acquire her GED and
obtain a college degree. To help her reach her goals, the shelter
assisted her in finding a childcare program. That program was Rainbow
Child Development Center.
Rainbow supported Laura - a single parent - at a most critical time
in her life. Laura succeeded in securing her GED and went on to
graduate from Quinsigamond Community College in 1996. Laura immediately
found a job, and consequently, continued to rely on Rainbow's programs
for the two young girls.
Laura felt her eldest daughter's experience with Family Child Care
Provider, Gloria, was so positive, she waited until there was an
opening in popular Gloria's home for her second daughter to attend.
The girls' formative years were just the beginning of the powerful
relationship built with the Center. Erin was a candidate for speech
therapy, which Rainbow provided her on-site. Erin successfully overcame
a stutter, to the extent that - over the years - she has participated
in Rainbow's summer camp public performances, and now is a choir
member at her school. The choir group will be performing in NYC
in January 2004. There is so much that Laura feels the Center has
given her family: the counseling of both child and parent over issues
such as death and dying; the cultural experiences often out of reach;
the therapeutic services that are life-changing. "My girls
would have never had these opportunities, " confirmed Laura.
"Ballet, drama, summer camp experiences, speech therapy, and
the endless love and caring that Amanda and Erin have felt all these
years . . . Rainbow is family to us."
Now the girls are adolescents, and benefit directly from the leadership
and imagination of Mike Wyne, School Age Program Coordinator. "Mike
is just amazing. He relates so well to the kids, and they all respect
him." Laura believes that the attention her children get -
from meaningful assistance with homework, developing safe cooking
skills, and learning to look out for the youngest in their midst
- have made an immeasurable difference in her children's self-esteem.
Presently, Laura is dedicated to speaking out about her positive
experiences with Rainbow. In making public appearances, Laura tells
the story of her personal triumph as a direct result of the support
of Rainbow Child Development Center. Laura enjoys speaking about
Rainbow, feeling that it is a tangible way to give back to the organization
that has so impacted her family. She repeatedly confirms that if
there is a need or problem, the staff of Rainbow is right there
to find a solution. "I can always go to Rainbow for help. They
have always been there for my kids and me. When the girls' grandfather
died, Rainbow knew what to do and say and helped me out."
Those Rainbow staff members who have come and gone are frequently
the topic of conversation in Laura's home. Her daughters have felt
loved by many people, and now carry that love, support, and confidence
- as does their mother - into the future.
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