Nearly $3 Million To Support Kids And Families, Fund Early Childhood Development

US Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced that two Early Head Start and Head Start Programs in Hawai‘i will receive nearly $3 million in new federal funding through the American Rescue Plan.

The funding includes:

• $997,881 for Parents and Children Together; and
• $1,804,322 for Honolulu Community Action Program

Sen. Schatz said the funding will be vital to helping these programs recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, including by making up for lost learning time and building back to fully operational, comprehensive services this fall. He said this will ensure that Hawai‘i families have the support they need as they prepare their young children for school.

“It cannot be overstated how important early childhood development programs are to a child’s successful and healthy future, and support for these programs is especially critical after the disruptions caused by the pandemic,” said Senator Schatz, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “This new funding will help families across Hawai‘i get the support they need so that their kids can thrive in school and in life.”

Head Start and Early Head Start programs provide comprehensive early childhood education and development services to low-income children. These programs are operated by non-profit organizations across the country and promote school readiness for children under the age of six from low-income families. These programs, which are free of cost to families, support children by focusing on early learning, health, and family well-being.

Parents and Children Together has provided Hawai‘i families with community-based services since 1968, and now has over 400 employees located on Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Moloka‘i, Lāna‘i, Maui, and Hawai‘i Island. The Honolulu Community Action Program has supported economically disadvantaged families on O‘ahu since 1965.