Maui Addiction Treatment Program Gets $135K Grant

Mālama Program Coordinator Megan Morrow with Mālama graduate MaryJane Ulep and her son Reign Russell in the organization’s Early Learning Center, where many of the grant activities will take place.

Maui non-profit Mālama Nā Makua A Keiki, Mālama Family Recovery Center, recently received a three-year, $135,000 grant from the Hawaiʻi Children’s Trust Fund for its Mother-Child Program.

Mālama is the only women-specific addiction treatment center on Maui and the only place where young children can stay with their mothers while they get help in therapeutic and sober living settings.

The program aims to provide caring, holistic substance abuse treatment to women and children so families can live safe, independent and healthy lives.

Services are also provided on an outpatient basis.

The HCTF aims to prevent child abuse and neglect by supporting community-based family strengthening programs that promote healthy relationships and environments so Hawaiʻi’s keiki can reach their full potential and develop into healthy, productive and caring individuals.

Mālama’s ‘Mother-Child Program’ will focus on young mothers with children under five years old and will include intensive case management, parenting classes, developmental screenings for clients’ children and outreach to young moms at Mālama’s nonprofit partner agency Aloha House.

“We deeply appreciate the Hawaiʻi Children’s Trust Fund’s willingness to help us enhance our current programming,” said Program Coordinator Megan Morrow. “We know that parental substance abuse is a risk factor for child abuse and neglect. This is a unique opportunity to combine comprehensive and effective addiction treatment with activities that strengthen mother-child/baby bonding and increase attentive parenting practices in order to improve and support the entire family’s well-being.”

For more information about Mālama or to learn how you can support the organization call Development Coordinator Frances Duberstein at 808-579-8414, ext. 8102, visit www.malamafamilyrecovery.org or visit the Hawaiʻi Children’s Trust Fund at the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation website.