About Us
A community where every family belongs
What started as a small group of dads looking for each other has grown into something much bigger, and in 2024, we became a formal organisation so we could advocate and do more for our members
Our Story
How it all started...
In 2016, a group of dads started getting together. Nothing formal, no organisation, no committee. Just rainbow dads who wanted to find each other, share what they were going through, and give their kids a chance to grow up knowing other families like theirs.
For eight years, that's exactly what they did. Catch-ups, social events, playgroups, and get-togethers built on a simple premise: that rainbow dads needed a community of their own, and that no one else was going to build it for them.
The community kept growing. More dads, more families, more events. And it became clear that to do more, to properly advocate for members, to access funding, to show up as a credible voice for rainbow families in Victoria, the group needed to become something more structured.
So in 2024, Rainbow Dads Victoria became a formal organisation.
The founding instinct hasn't changed. Rainbow dads and their kids shouldn't have to navigate the journey alone. Mainstream parenting groups don't reflect rainbow families, and they don't understand the particular legal, social, and emotional realities that come with them. The path to parenthood, for most of our members through surrogacy, is expensive, legally complex, and nothing like what other parents go through. And once the kids arrive, the isolation doesn't necessarily go away.
So we built something that does.
RDV exists to create a village where rainbow dads and their kids are the norm, not the exception. A place where you can show up as yourself with no explanations needed. Where your family is just a family.
Our playgroups, events, and catch-ups reduce isolation, build genuine friendships, and make a real difference to the wellbeing of both parents and kids. For our children, being part of RDV means growing up surrounded by other families that look like theirs. Our members tell us that's one of the main reasons they keep coming back, and we think that says everything about what this community is for.
RDV is open to anyone who identifies as a rainbow dad, or is on the journey to become one, regardless of relationship status, cultural background, age, or family structure. Solo dads, partnered dads, co-parents, step-parents, carers, dads from previous relationships, and those building their family through surrogacy, fostering, adoption, or donor conception.
However your family looks, there's a place here for you.
Mission & Values
What we stand for.
Every single day.
Everything we do comes back to a few simple beliefs about what rainbow families deserve and what community should feel like.
01
Community, belonging and respect
RDV exists to reduce isolation and build genuine connection among rainbow dads and their families.
We create spaces where you can meet people with shared experiences, form real relationships, and show up as your family without having to explain or justify how it was formed.
We expect everyone in our community to treat each other with respect, care and good faith, whatever their path to parenthood looks like.
04
Integrity and
accountability
RDV acts honestly, carefully, and transparently in everything it does.
We make decisions with care, document what matters, and take our responsibilities to members seriously.
Anyone acting on behalf of RDV, whether as a board member, volunteer, or event organiser, does so with that same standard and in a way that reflects well on the community we're building.
02
Inclusion and
equity
RDV is committed to inclusive, affirming spaces that reflect the full diversity of rainbow dad family life.
We recognise and welcome diversity in gender identity, sexuality, family structure, culture, ethnicity, religion, disability, age, and lived experience.
That includes trans and gender diverse parents, bisexual, pansexual, and queer dads, and anyone connected to fatherhood or rainbow dad family life, not just one version.
05
Practical and proportionate governance
RDV values systems that are useful, realistic, and proportionate to a small volunteer-run organisation.
We don't build processes for their own sake, but we also don't mistake simplicity for vagueness.
Our policies and structures exist to help people act clearly and confidently, not to create unnecessary overhead.
03
Safety and
responsibility
RDV values community spaces that are warm and welcoming, and also clear and safe.
Children are at the centre of what we do, which means safety is never an afterthought.
Parents and guardians remain responsible for their children at all times, while RDV sets the community standards, reduces foreseeable risks, and responds to concerns when they arise.
06
Learning and
improvement
RDV is still developing and we know we don't have everything figured out.
We use feedback, community input, complaints, and our own experience running events and programs to keep getting better.
If something isn't working, we'd rather hear about it and fix it than leave it unaddressed.
50+
Families across Victoria
20+
Events every year
8
Years of community
2
Regular playgroups
100%
Volunteer run, always
Frequently Asked Questions
Got questions?
We've got answers.
New to RDV or just curious? Here are the questions we hear most often.
