#Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

MEO Head Start preschool continues to accept children for 2025-26

Maui Economic Opportunity’s Head Start preschool program, which offers comprehensive early childhood education at no cost to income-qualifying families, continues to accept children for the 2025-2026 school year, which begins in August.

Head Start to begin accepting 2025-26 applications on Feb. 1

Maui Economic Opportunity’s Head Start preschool program, which offers comprehensive early childhood education at no cost to income-qualifying families, will begin accepting applications Feb. 1 for the 2025-2026 school year.  

GEM stocks up on home goods for Lahaina as residents wait for rebuild permits

On Tuesday, Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) Hawaiʻi unveiled its warehouse stocked with beds, comforters, and other household essentials to begin its aid to at least 300 wildfire-afflicted homeowners in a multi-year rebuilding process.

Hirono secures reinstatement of benefits for COFA citizens, over $307M for Hawaiʻi in federal spending bill

In addition to containing the recently-renegotiated Compacts of Free Association, the package includes the text of Sen. Hirono’s Compact Impact Fairness Act to restore access to a range of federal benefits for COFA citizens who reside in the US, including nearly 20,000 in Hawaiʻi. The package, which passed in the US House of Representatives on Wednesday, now heads to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law.

Maui TANF fire relief expanded to individuals, households without children

Individuals and households impacted by the Maui wildfires—including those without dependent children—may be eligible for Maui Relief TANF Program assistance with housing, car, utility, clothing and school supply payments in a major expansion of the program.

Outreach events for fire relief program for families with children scheduled

In-person outreach events for the Maui Relief TANF Program, which helps individuals with dependent children directly impacted by the wildfires, are scheduled from Saturday, Oct. 28, to Saturday, Nov. 4, in Lahaina, Upcountry and Wailuku by Maui Economic Opportunity.In-person outreach events for the Maui Relief TANF Program, which helps individuals with dependent children directly impacted by the wildfires, are scheduled from Saturday, Oct. 28, to Saturday, Nov. 4, in Lahaina, Upcountry and Wailuku by Maui Economic Opportunity.

Maui Relief TANF immigrant families’ intake by appointment set 

Assistance for immigrants with dependent children to apply for the Maui Relief TANF Program will be available from 5 to 8 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 2, at Maui Economic Opportunity in Wailuku.

Maui Relief TANF outreach event Tuesday at Lahaina Civic Center

Applications for the Maui Relief TANF program, which could cover housing, auto, clothing and utility expenses for families with children impacted by the August wildfires, will be accepted at a Maui Economic Opportunity outreach event, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday, at the Lahaina Civic Center.

Maui Relief TANF program assists families with children impacted by wildfires

In partnership with the state Department of Human Services, Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc. is administering the Maui Relief TANF Program that will provide help with housing, auto and utility payments and other expenses for income-eligible families with children who were directly impacted by the Aug. 8 wildfires.

Applications open Oct. 20 for temporary financial assistance program for families affected by Maui fires

Applications will begin to be accepted on Oct. 20 for a temporary financial assistance program that helps families with at least one dependent child who have been directly affected by the Maui fires.

Senate passes more than 120 bills during third reading floor session

The minimum wage bill would incrementally increase the wage starting with a step increase to $12 per hour on October 1 of this year, and culminate with an increase to $18 per hour in January of 2026.

MEO’s “Head Start” Program to Begin Accepting Applications on Feb. 1

Maui Economic Opportunity’s federally funded early childhood education program, “Head Start” will begin accepting applications on Monday, Feb. 1 for the 2021-22 school year.