Issue Briefs

Many young keiki in Hawai‘i reach school at a disadvantage. Statewide, kindergarten readiness scores are lowest in the Language & Literacy domain. Readiness gaps become academic achievement gaps and grow wider over time. Early childhood experiences matter for school readiness and success.

Exposure to family violence endangers healthy early childhood development and often leads to negative long-term outcomes in school and life. Violence occurs in all types of families. Some factors increase the risk and make families more vulnerable. To prevent family violence, a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach is needed that includes collaboration between government agencies, nonprofit organizations, communities and families.

Mental health challenges for Hawai`i’s youngest keiki and their families have been exacerbated by the pandemic. Since the pandemic, Early Intervention has seen a dramatic decline in infant and toddler social and emotional development.

Child care is vital to a community’s well-being but Hawai`i’s fragile system has been devastated by the pandemic. Hawai`i’s supply of licensed/registered child care is insufficient to meet the needs of working families. More than 3,600 child care spaces for children (0-5) have been lost during the pandemic in Hawai`i.

The pandemic created a perfect storm for rising rates of family violence in Hawai`i. Calls and caseloads related to family violence increased during the pandemic.Isolation prevents reports of Child Abuse and Neglect (CAN). Children under age 1 are more than twice as likely as older children to be victims of CAN.

Expanding public investment is critical to increasing access to early care and learning opportunities to meet the state’s high needs. Federal and state funding plays a pivotal role in building capacity, improving quality, and reducing the financial burden for families. The information in this primer provides a general overview of the majority of available public funding for child care and early learning programs in Hawai`i and the flow of these funds.

Food insecurity can harm individuals of any age, but it can be especially devastating to young children.

Corporal punishment harms children.

In 1973 Hawai‘i became the third State to ban corporal punishment in schools. With the accumulating evidence on the harms of corporal punishment, there is a clear path to legislative action to have us again lead the United States in eliminating the purposeful infliction of pain on children.

Research shows homelessness in the early years is harmful to children’s development.

The cost of infant care in Hawaii is higher than the annual cost of college tuition.