We are an advocacy and adoption grant/fundraising organization only. We raise awareness for waiting children with Down syndrome and other special needs for the purposes of international adoption and social activism. We actively pursue donations as grants to offset the costs related to adopting the children we serve.

Reece's Rainbow is a registered 501©3 non-profit, legally classified as a public charity with the IRS and incorporated originally in the state of Georgia.  We are also registered and certified with the State of Maryland.  Our non profit tax id is 20-5466141 and our 990 filings for each year can be openly viewed at www.guidestar.org. Our offices are currently located at PO Box 146, Combined Locks, WI  54113.  Donations by check can be mailed to this address.

Qualified and approved adoptive families of all faiths are welcome. Donations are legally made on behalf of each child. Families who are approved to adopt by a licensed social worker in their state and who qualify for their country of choice are eligible to receive a child’s grant with submission of our FSP (Family Sponsorship Program) application and supporting documents.

Definition from Merriam-Webster: “a person or thing through which something is accomplished.” In only 14 years, the advocacy and fundraising efforts of Reece’s Rainbow have helped bring more than 2200+ orphans with Down syndrome and other special needs into loving forever families of their own. And although we are legally classified a public charity, this organization was founded on and is run by Christian principles to serve orphans. We exist to be a voice of hope and a future for these children. There is no other motivation for us than to do right by each one.

Reece's Rainbow does not financially benefit from any facilitator or agency partnerships. The children listed on our website are shared with us by specific facilitation teams and licensed agency partners working in those particular countries and regions. RR does not pay for this information, we never have and we never will.  Unlike other photo listing organizations, we do not charge agencies/facilitators to share their children with us.  We do not make any money from these adoptions, not one cent, not at any time, and that is what sets RR apart from a child placing agency.  We are not involved in the financial transaction for services in any way.  These teams have a proven track record of success in completing adoptions of known children with special needs, and they are well-established partners in-country.  However, families are welcome to use any facilitator or licensed agency they wish, provided said parties are able to show proof of possession of the child's identifying information prior to a match on our site.

and are available to families regardless of which facilitation team or agency they work with to complete their adoption. (with submission of required grant app and supporting documents)

Application for grant funds must be made prior to the completion of a child's adoption.    Should we learn that a child has been adopted outside of RR, that child will be marked "my family found me" and their grant funds reallocated to another waiting child.   You can learn more about our Family Sponsorship Program here:  http://reecesrainbow.org/new-family/family-sponsorship-program

All upfront costs, including but not limited to, home study, USCIS, reports/documents, agency application fees, upfront agency fees, dossier translation fees, etc, are the responsibility of the family and can not be paid from RR grant funds.  This policy is necessary to protect the donated funds until such time as the adoption is most likely to be successful.

or nearly cleared and available soon.   We do not knowingly post children who are not available, and would never accept donations or seek an adoptive family for a child we know can not be adopted.  The status of a child's availability can change at any time for many reasons, such as adoption through another agency unbeknownst to RR, death of a child, domestic adoption or foster care of a child, etc.  This is impossible to predict and is simply a risk of international adoption.

(provided the child's info is available to that team or agency).  This decision needs to be made at the beginning of the process, prior to commitment, and provided to Reece's Rainbow in writing as part of your grant eligibility application.   Reece's Rainbow is not in possession of any additional identifying info besides country, region, and DOB, as listed in each profile.

We do this to give families as much time as possible to fundraise prior to travel. The expectation is that all home studies will be complete within 12 weeks from the date of commitment.

USCIS, and your child placing agency.   Reece’s Rainbow is not involved in this in any way.  Although we will share our own personal opinions with you about the challenges of adopting particular children into families with particular dynamics, we do this because we care and because we have seen the experiences of other families post-adoption. (ie:  adopting a 7 yr old institutionalized child into a family with very young children, or adopting multiples).  The majority of our leadership team and family liaisons are previous adoptive families through RR and have personally experienced the challenges of international adoption.  Their suggestions are valuable!   But ultimately the decision is entirely up to you and your social worker as to whether your choice of child is a good decision for your family.

Reece’s Rainbow has only the information provided to us by the referring agency. This information differs based on the country program. Information that we usually have includes: country, age and/or date of birth, the child’s disability as listed by their referring agency and the requirements to adopt from that country (such as parent’s income, family size restrictions, etc). If photos of the child are available, this information is listed in the child’s profile. We do not omit any known information, and go to great lengths to caution potential adoptive families about the likelihood of such things as FAS (fetal alcohol syndrome) and other needs based on observation, even if they are not included in the child's official medical records.   We *strongly* recommend adoption training classes!  Families who are considering the adoption of children with known special needs out of an institutional setting should educate themselves on how this life impacts children, the possible behavioral and emotional challenges you may face once home, and whether your current family dynamics are right for that *risk*.  You always have the right to refuse the referral in country and request a different child if those needs are far greater than originally expected.

These overall costs are provided to Reece’s Rainbow by the agencies that refer the children. Adoption costs can vary greatly from agency to agency, even at the time of year you are traveling due to increased cost of airfare during the summer.  Families should always verify the expenses related to their adoption with the agency.  RR does not provide child placing services.  You are legally under contract with your agency and/or facilitator for services, and should read the contract/schedule of fees thoroughly before committing.    Ask first if you are unclear of something.   If you should run into a situation where the actual costs are significantly more than your contractual fees, yes, we want to know about it, but all concerns/action would need to be taken with the agency.  Reece's Rainbow is not involved in those relationships or contracts.

Our "After the Rainbow" group is available for families who are newly home with their adopted children through RR.  This group is in place to provide much needed PEER support from other families who have experienced similar challenges with their adopted children.   Each family will be sent a welcome letter, and we encourage all families to participate, but it is the responsibility of each family to do so.  ATR is not a replacement for professional post-adoptive counseling or therapy, and they are not licensed social workers or a child placing agency.  RR is not legally responsible for post-adoptive follow-up or post-placement reporting.  This group is in place as a courtesy and a resource for help to our families.