Remme Rainbow Room opening celebrated at Hays County Commissioners Court

On April 13, the Hays County Child Protective Board presented to the Hays County Commissioners Court a slide show to celebrate the opening of the new Remme Rainbow Room and to thank the commissioners, major donors, county staff and community volunteers for their support. The RRR is a bright, well-furnished facility where county Child Protective Service caseworkers can comfort abused and neglected children who have just been removed from dangerous situations, feed them snacks, help them clean up, and find items they need immediately, such as clothing, hygiene products, blankets, and infant-care supplies.

Commissioner Debbie Ingalsbe, whom HCCPB members have referred to as the “guiding angel” of the project, has commented that a beauty of the RRR is the partnership between county and community that has made it possible.

Planning for the RRR began in 2017, when Brenda and Kaare Remme, long-time contributors to the Hays County Child Protective Board, asked Board member Karen Brown, “What do you need most?” After consultation with the Board and CPS staff, Brown and the Remmes determined that CPS most needed an expanded, well-supplied space for attending to the immediate needs of children who have just come into CPS care.

At the time, the CPS Rainbow Room was located in a small, cramped room in CPS offices, and the HCCPB stored larger items such as car seats and cribs in a rented storage unit. If children needed bathing, it was done in an office bathroom sink. The Remme family immediately provided initial funding for a new Rainbow Room and for the services of the local architect Ron Balderach and his assistant, BJ Spencer.

Next, the county commissioners matched the Reemes’ funding by appropriating $100,000 to help with the project. Commissioner Ingalsbe provided essential guidance, and all the commissioners supported the project throughout the process. Commissioner Ingalsbe suggested, and helped secure, the use of an already-existing county building. Commissioner Mark Jones secured additional funding from the Capital Area Housing Finance Committee.

Balderach and Spencer supplied innovative plans and worked closely with the County during renovation of the county building. The Remme family donated again, so the building would have bright, new furnishings. The Jerry and Anna Farr family donated to stock storeroom shelves and decorate the playroom.

Hays County Master Gardeners Association contributed landscaping expertise. Members Marilyn Davis and Marilyn Love led a team to design a colorful plan that uses hardy perennials for the beds in front of the building. Laura Gass and Karen Malinowski, with the team of volunteers, installed the stone, soil, plants and mulch. Brightly painted benches and planters were added to a patio area thanks to Dale Davis and Ric Love.

County staff, particularly Chris Deichmann and his crew, renovated the County building. Deichmann managed bidding processes, obtained estimates, and coordinated renovation activities, approvals, tracking and progress reporting. General Counsel Mark Kennedy, with his administrative assistant Debra Anderson, provided legal expertise in response to the Board’s many questions. First Assistant Auditor Vickie Dorsett gave essential advice on financial records requirements, defining the renovation processes and ensuring that donations were processed correctly and available when they were needed.

Hays County CPS staff took time from their already-overtaxed schedules to consult about plans. Their attention helped ensure that the new facility would be functional and safe and would meet the needs of both children and caseworkers. Supervisor Kristina Herrera and caseworkers Stacy Stockley, Dorlisa Villanueva and Marisa Paredes, and district Rainbow Room Coordinator Brenda Jones provided essential advice.

In early January, CPS caseworkers began using the RRR. There, they collect backpacks filled with supplies for the children in their care. They can bathe them in brightly decorated bathrooms and give them snacks in a cheerful break room that has a well-stocked refrigerator and pantry. In the playroom, children have access to toys, puzzles, and books as caseworkers complete paperwork. Because of newly ample storage space, HCCB now accepts large in-kind donations such as diapers, formula, children’s clothing, and bulky items such as car seats and beds.

Pictures of the Remme Rainbow Room and links for making donations are at the HCCPB website at hccpbtx.org.

•Submitted by the Hays County Child Protective Board