Throughout the day, board members and leaders were guided by the dedicated program teams who serve these communities every day. Mahalo to the project directors and staff who led the visits and offered firsthand insight into each program’s impact!

From participating in Parent And Children Together (PACT) time, to sitting in on Parent Education classes, to walking through a puʻuhonua created for youth at Ke Kama Pono, the day was filled with powerful moments of pilina (relationship-building) and ʻike (understanding). Each site visit offered a closer look at how PIDF’s programs support families through culturally grounded approaches, and how staff and participants continue to shape these spaces with care, resilience, and aloha.

At the close of the visit, the Board and Leadership Team left with a renewed understanding of why this work matters—and the collective commitment that makes it possible. As the ʻŌlelo Noʻeau reminds us, “ʻAʻohe hana nui ke alu ʻia”—no task is too big when done together. That spirit was felt throughout the day in the way PIDF comes together to uplift one another and strengthen Hawaiʻi’s communities.

We extend a sincere mahalo to the staff and participants who welcomed the Board and Leadership Team with such warmth and aloha. Your stories are the heartbeat of this organization, and a meaningful reminder of the purpose that guides this work.

A Milestone Achievement 

The Accreditation+ designation represents the highest level of quality recognition in early childhood education, awarded only to programs that demonstrate exceptional standards in teaching practices, curriculum, family engagement, and administrative policies. Ka Paʻalana’s Hope Preschool Site, which serves as a model for all their preschool sites, joins an elite group of early childhood education programs nationwide to receive this honor. 

“This achievement reflects our unwavering commitment to providing high-quality educational experiences for children and families experiencing homelessness and other challenging circumstances,” said Kasey Popken, Project Director of Ka Paʻalana. “We are honored to be recognized by NAEYC for our dedication to excellence in early childhood education.” 

About NAEYC Accreditation+ 

The NAEYC Accreditation+ system sets professional standards for early learning programs and helps families identify high-quality programs for their children. The re-envisioned NAEYC accreditation process is based on the commitment to continuous quality improvement, lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, and feedback from the field. 

To earn NAEYC Accreditation+, Ka Paʻalana went through an extensive self-study and quality-improvement process, followed by on-site visits by NAEYC assessors to verify program quality. The program was evaluated on ten program standards and dozens of corresponding individual criteria to determine its level of excellence. 

Impact on Families and Communities 

Ka Paʻalana’s focus on serving homeless, at-risk, and ALICE (Asset-Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) families makes this continued achievement particularly significant. The program provides comprehensive services including preschool education, parent education, and family support services through its innovative mobile preschool and Family-Child Interaction Learning (FCIL) model. 

“Achieving Accreditation+ status validates our approach to serving Hawaiʻi’s most vulnerable keiki and their families,” said Terry Nakamura, Vice President of Operations of Partners in Development Foundation. “It demonstrates that high-quality early education can and should be accessible to all children, regardless of their living situation or economic circumstances.” 

Moving Forward 

With this recognition, Ka Paʻalana reaffirms its commitment to providing high-quality education and family support to communities in Leeward Oʻahu, West Hawaiʻi Island, and Maui. Project Director, Kasey Popken shared that, “All sites will continue to incorporate culturally responsive practices and innovative approaches to address the unique needs of homeless and at-risk families in Hawaiʻi.”

For more information about Ka Paʻalana, please visit pidf.org/kapaalana/

(KAPOLEI, HI) – Partners in Development Foundation (PIDF) Ka Paʻalana Homeless Family Education Program located in Kapolei has earned accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)—the world’s largest organization working on behalf of young children. 

NAEYC Accreditation is a rigorous and transformative quality-improvement system that uses a set of 10 research-based standards to collaborate with early education programs to recognize and drive quality-improvement in high-quality early learning environments. “This was a major endeavor and accomplishment and benefitted the entire program by this continued effort to ensure poʻokela (excellence) in all aspects of program staffing, curriculum, and practices,” said Terry Nakamura, PIDF Interim Vice President of Operations and Program Manager at Ka Paʻalana Homeless Family Education Program.” 

Ka Paʻalana provides comprehensive family education programming for homeless/at-risk families with young children on the west coast of Oʻahu and East Hawaiʻi Island. Annually, the Ka Paʻalana program serves about 400 children ages birth to five and their caregivers by preparing children for school, equipping caregivers to be their child’s first teachers, and empowering adults to move toward self-sufficiency and give back to their community.  

Ka Paʻalana first earned NAEYC accreditation in 2013, and every five years, pursues reaccreditation through an extensive self-study and quality-improvement process, followed by an on-site visit by NAEYC Assessors to ensure that the program meets each of the ten program standards, and hundreds of corresponding individual criteria.  

In the 30 years since NAEYC Accreditation was established, it has become a widely recognized sign of high-quality early childhood education. Nationally, less than 10 percent of all childcare centers, preschools, and kindergartens achieve this recognition.   

“NAEYC-Accredited programs have committed to a process that takes time, energy, and dedication to complete,” states Alissa Mwenelupembe, Senior Director Early Learning Program Accreditation. “Ka Paʻalana has demonstrated their commitment to young children and their families.” 

What a marvelous testament to the staff and families that work to make the Ka Paʻalana Homeless Family Education Program so special. Congratulations to you all!! 

For more information about NAEYC Accreditation, visit the NAEYC website.  

Original story published on Honolulu Civil Beat by Jackie Mader, click here to view, and on The Hechinger Report, click here to view.

In the basement of a church at the foothills of the Koolau mountains, Darrylnn Ferreira perched on a plastic chair at the edge of a large blue rug while her 4-year-old granddaughter, Talia, settled down for circle time. Three teachers welcomed other families as they trickled in and sat down, then launched into a morning greeting song in English and Hawaiian. 

Ferreira followed suit, clapping along and singing, before settling back in her chair and paying close attention as a teacher held up a picture book about the Honolulu Zoo and started to read to the class.

As a grandmother, Ferreira is as much a member of the target audience for this free, traveling preschool program as Talia. Named Tutu and Me after the Hawaiian word for “grandparent,” the program introduces children to early academic and social skills as well as Native Hawaiian language and culture.

At the same time, caregivers, many of whom are grandparents, learn about child development and how to navigate toddler tantrums, support early language and math skills and help children learn through play.

Every Tuesday and Thursday, Ferreira and Talia drive up a narrow, winding road, flanked with deep green foliage, to a hilltop church in Kaneohe. They amble down to a basement classroom that mimics a traditional school or center-based program, with multiple teachers for the dozen children, a structured routine and thoughtfully designed activity centers, each of which includes a poster for caregivers with instructions and tips to encourage exploration and learning.

When circle time ends, Ferreira and Talia rotate through the centers to Talia’s favorite activities: drawing, painting and — on at least one day — riding a small tricycle in dizzying circles. 

“This is amazing,” Ferreira said, motioning around the room as toddlers and preschoolers, trailed by their caregivers, dashed from one activity to the next. “We have this resource that gives this for us to learn.”

Tutu and Me is one of several family-child interaction learning programs in Hawaii that offers support to the state’s large number of non-parental caregivers who provide child care each day. At least 43% of young children in Hawaii were watched by friends or relatives in 2019. The state has the highest percentage of families — 72% — that use federal funds to pay for unlicensed care, such as that provided by grandparents and friends. 

These caregivers — mostly women and largely invisible within the broader child care ecosystem — are often isolated in their homes and can’t always access the funding and training critical to offering the best care possible during a pivotal time of children’s brain development.

“What they learn in our program, what we’re trying to teach them, is that they are that child’s most important educator,” said Shawn Kanaʻiaupuni, president and CEO of the Hawaii-based Partners in Development Foundation, which runs Tutu and Me. “Nobody is born knowing how to be a parent or caregiver, we all have to learn it.”

Ferreira, who brought another grandchild to a different Tutu and Me location more than 15 years ago, has seen immense benefits for Talia. The preschooler is now more prepared for kindergarten, Ferreira said, and has learned aspects of Native Hawaiian culture that are meaningful to their family. Through the program, Ferreira has learned how to teach Talia how to form letters.

 “She won’t do that here,” Ferreira whispered, as Talia eyed some handwriting practice sheets before opening a drawing journal and coloring in a picture with a thick pink crayon. “But I’m doing it at home, just to reinforce it,” she added. 

At home, Ferreira infuses more counting into their day, as well as reading, English and Hawaiian songs, and creative activities, like painting and making homemade playdough. She and Talia have attended field trips and live theater, and Ferreira has enrolled Talia in gymnastics, a program she learned about through Tutu and Me.  

“We’re very fortunate this program is here,” she said. 

A Necessary Form Of Child Care

For generations, families have relied on friends, family members and neighbors to help care for young children during the day. Friend, family and neighbor — FFN — care is the most common form of non-parental child care in America. Experts estimate at least 60% of children under age 6 spend their days in such arrangements with more than 4 million caregivers — mostly grandparents or aunts — a number that has grown over the past decade. 

This type of care is especially common in low income communities, among families with limited English proficiency, in immigrant communities and for children with disabilities. During the pandemic, friend and family caregivers were a lifeline for many parents; recent data shows parents continue to desire and value it. Child care provided by relatives or other informal caregivers can offer valuable benefits for children, such as consistency of care, support of native language and culture, flexibility and affordability. 

As states work to stabilize the child care industry in the wake of the pandemic, experts are calling for more support for all child care settings, including the informal, home-based care, where so many children spend their days.

“The individuals that provide FFN care are doing a huge service to young children and their families, and they’re also doing a considerable service to the community and the economy,” said Natalie Renew, executive director of Home Grown, a nonprofit aimed at increasing the access to and quality of home-based child care.

“Our high-priority children and families are often in this setting, and if we really want them to be ready for kindergarten and able to thrive, we really need to care for them in this setting with these caregivers,” she added. 

In Hawaii, friend, family and neighbor care is valued both culturally and by necessity. Extremely high real estate costs coupled with a high cost of living means several generations of families often live together. While many working families choose and prefer ohana, or family, care, while their children are young, other options are scarce. Before the pandemic, the state had only enough licensed infant-toddler center spots for one out of every 37 children under age 3. 

The state lost 12% of its child care spots during the pandemic. In some parts of Hawaii, including the islands of Kauai, Molokai and Lanai, there are no child care centers serving infants and toddlers. The average cost of center-based infant child care, when it is available in Hawaii, is more than $1,700 a month, several hundred more than the national average. 

Nationwide, aid for family and friend caregivers is rare. In 23 states, there are no known statewide supports for relatives and friends who provide child care. Many of these providers don’t view themselves as educators, but rather as caregivers who are simply helping their families. Few attend educational workshops or get help from a home visitor or coach. During the pandemic, when family members and friends were a critical caregiving lifeline, only 13 states used federal stabilization funding to invest in these providers. 

Policymakers have mixed views on whether grandparents, neighbors, and family friends should be included in formal child care policy, said Patricia Lozano, executive director of Early Edge California, which advocates for high-quality early learning programs in a variety of settings. “It’s complicated,” she said. “It’s really difficult to have policies that apply to all.”

But a few states, such as Alabama and California, do offer formal training specifically for this population. In California, where one in five FFN caregivers watch four or more children, the state runs play groups and training for caregivers through a child care agency. Other states offer programs like those in Hawaii: play groups for caregivers and children, featuring key aspects of formal preschool programs, as well as educational materials through the mail. 

Several states, including Colorado and Massachusetts, have expanded home visitation programs to serve relatives and friends who care for children. This model is especially promising, helping ensure that informal caregivers don’t feel they’re being pushed into the regulations and oversight involved in formal child care, said Linda Smith, director of the early childhood development initiative at the Bipartisan Policy Center. 

“There’s this constant debate … ‘If I’m the grandparent, do I want somebody coming in and telling me how to care for my grandchildren?’” she said. “The other side of that coin is, ‘Hey, I haven’t been around little kids in a long time. What do I need to know now, that I didn’t know before?’” she added. “How do you support grandparents in this whole role, without regulating them and telling them what to do?”

Fewer Resources

Despite the benefits these caregivers offer, there are also challenges. 

Children in informal care settings may have fewer resources than their peers in formal, licensed child care programs, spend more time watching television and have lower cognitive and school readiness scores. Research has found some caregivers are less likely to play with children and engage in the back-and-forth conversation known to stimulate cognitive development. In some states, caregivers can care for up to six children without a license, mirroring more formal home care settings, but without the support provided to licensed programs. 

Without access to information or training, caregivers may rely on their own child-rearing experiences, which, for some, could be limited. 

The essential components of “identity and love and affection and reciprocity,” are already baked in to care provided by family friends and relatives, said Renew from Home Grown. “And with more resources, I think we could do so much more to intervene on the cognitive pieces of the development.”

Caregivers nationwide largely report that they’d welcome help and information, especially on health and safety, how to offer nutritious meals and navigate state systems, as well as how to use materials to support play and learning. 

And some caregivers simply need immediate tips on how to handle challenges with the children they watch each day. 

On a recent Wednesday morning in Kapolei, Hawaii, caregivers followed children inside two brown yurts sitting in tall grass on the grounds of two homeless shelters. Although this program, the Ka Paalana Homeless Family Education Program at Hope Shelter, is aimed at families experiencing homelessness, many local families drive to the homeless shelter to take advantage of the free early learning opportunity.

Ka Paalana’s shelter-based location is of such high quality, it is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Like their counterparts at Tutu and Me, the teachers with Ka Paalana, which runs the shelter location and several traveling sites, see themselves as guides for caregivers of young children. For a portion of the class at Hope Shelter, teachers mind the children while caregivers receive instruction on topics like child development and career and life skills. 

Inside one of the yurts, Cece Kailiwai trailed a boisterous 1-year-old, who recently has been experimenting with climbing, pushing and was experiencing big feelings. Kailiwai, whose own children are grown, lives at one of the shelters and watches the toddler, who also lives in the shelter, as a favor for the child’s parents while they work. She chatted with teachers and watched their interactions with the boy when a tower of blocks fell over and he erupted in tears, kicking at some of the blocks.

Kailiwai said the program benefits them both. Without it, the toddler would miss out on socialization with other children and the stimulation of educational activities and toys. Kailiwai would be on her own to learn how to manage tantrums and behavior, how to play in ways that support his development and make sure he is on track with age-appropriate skills. 

The program has impacted her as a caregiver. “For me, it’s learning patience and structure … and learning that when you’re consistent, things will flow,” she said.

A growing body of research shows support programs for informal caregivers can make a positive difference, increasing caregiver knowledge of child development and decreasing caregiver depression and isolation. 

There are also long-term benefits for children. In Hawaii, a study of a small group of Tutu and Me graduates found 86% were proficient in reading and math by third grade, nearly 20 percentage points higher than the statewide average. Ninety-eight percent of children leaving Tutu and Me met school readiness standards on state tests, and Native Hawaiian graduates of the program were generally performing at the same levels as their non-Native Hawaiian peers, closing a persistent gap among children in the state. 

A longitudinal study of Keiki Steps, a family-child interaction program in the state similar to Tutu  and Me, found similar positive results: A survey of 80% of the first seven cohorts of Keiki Steps graduates found they all graduated from high school on time and 75% were college bound. These results are particularly stunning in a state where the Native Hawaiian population faces “generational effects of colonization,” said Maile Keli’ipio-Acoba, CEO of the Institute for Native Pacific Education and Culture, or INPEACE, which runs Keiki Steps.

More Support Needed

Despite the promise and success of these programs, the state provides little funding for these efforts. Tutu and Me and Keiki Steps get most of their funding from the federal government, an amount set aside for Native Hawaiian Education programs, as well as from foundations and other private donors. The state’s Executive Office on Early Learning funnels some $300,000 into two other family-child interaction programs, held at two elementary schools.

FFN support programs also receive some funding from the state’s Department of Human Services, which invests about $188,000 toward these programs. The bulk of this investment is steered toward Learning to Grow, an outreach program for FFN caregivers and home-based providers, run by the University of Hawaii at Manoa and Windward Community College. Every month, caregivers across the Hawaiian Islands who are registered with the state can receive packets of educational materials centered around a theme, like learning through play and early brain development.

Hawaii has been largely focused on expanding pre-K for 3-year-olds and constructing pre-K facilities — investing $200 million last year toward efforts to do so. This approach ignores the family-and-friend settings that advocates say many parents choose and, in many cases, prefer.

“Our Native Hawaiian population really continues to hold a cultural value of their child being raised at home with their families,” said Keli’ipio-Acoba, instead of in an “institutional, educational kind of setting” for young children. 

More funding could help expand the reach of programs for informal caregivers, advocates say. But in the meantime, the caregivers who have access to this support say it’s made a difference.

Four days a week, teachers from Keiki Steps fan out across the islands to set up makeshift classrooms in nine communities. On a recent morning in Waianae, on a farm tucked away on the edge of Makaha Valley, a half-dozen families roamed around activity centers under a lush canopy of macadamia nut, jackfruit and ulu trees. 

On the edge of the large, outdoor classroom, Dee Kila crouched down next to her 2-year-old granddaughter, Hi’iaka, at a painting station.

“Can you say blue?” she asked as Hi’iaka picked up a paintbrush and smeared turquoise paint on a piece of cardboard depicting Hawaiian goddess Pele’s journey home.

“Dab, dab, dab,” Kila said as her granddaughter dipped her paintbrush in more paint. Kila gently put her hand over Hi’iaka’s hand and moved it back and forth, showing her how to create long strokes that resembled waves. 

“Nice job, high five!” she said, high fiving the toddler.

Kila watches Hi’iaka and her 1-year-old brother five days a week, from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., for free. “It’s very exhausting,” Kila said. “I am underpaid,” she added, laughing. Kila said her grandchildren are benefiting from the activities, songs and books at Keiki Steps. But the program has helped her, too. In addition to her grandchildren, Kila also cares for her 81-year-old mother, a combination Kila said can be overwhelming. 

The biggest change she’s noticed since she started coming to Keiki Steps is in herself. Having a place to bring the children to learn and socialize with others, where she can also learn about child development and interact with other caregivers, has been helpful, Kila said, especially since no such programs existed in her community when she was a young mom learning how to be a caregiver. 

“It’s made me more calm, and taught me how to be more patient,” she said. “Now that I’m caregiving, I’m like, I gotta go to Keiki Steps, so I can learn.”

This story about informal childcare was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for the Hechinger newsletter.

100% of the donations will benefit Partners in Development Foundation’s families and communities through free programs like Nā Pono, Ka Paʻalana, and Project Pilina.

It’s the Keola Klaus’ Virtual Toy Drive together with Raising Cane’s who wish you “One Love” this holiday season!

* Limit one Free Box Combo Card per person.

The month-long drive will allow patients and the public to donate early childhood books at Nomi sites where no-cost antigen and PCR testing for Hawaii residents (with or without insurance) and self-pay options for international visitors continue to be offered at Ala Moana Center, Waikele Premium Outlets (now located indoors in the outlet mall near Tommy Bahama), Kaneohe Bay Shopping Center, Ka Makana Ali’i Center and BYU-Hawaii. On the Big Island, book donations can be made at Waiakea Center in Hilo and The Sure Foundation in Keaau..

Partners in Development Foundation, pidf.org, is a nonprofit that reaches rural communities with early childhood education resources that give families with young children the tools they need for a great start at life and learning.

According to Nomi Health Field Operations Director Ailana Meyer, “November is the perfect month to give out of the abundance we’ve been given to help others as we countdown to Thanksgiving. Based on last year’s food drive, we know we have very generous supporters in the community, and we hope to collect over a thousand books for young children.”

Partners in Development Foundation’s Tūtū and Me Traveling Preschool Curriculum and ‘Ohana Support Manager, Amanda Ishigo, added, “Our early education programs teach caregivers the importance of reading daily with their keiki. Developing a love for books supports language development and enriches the relationship between caregiver and keiki. Reading to keiki also predicts higher academic success in elementary school. We are so grateful for the opportunity to share books that the ‘ohana can enjoy together.”

“I’m grateful that I am able to experience and recreate memories with my baby that her big sister and I enjoyed with Ka Pa’alana three years ago. We’ve been attending for six years now and there’s a reason we always come back, they’re such an amazing program,” said Grace, Ka Paʻalana parent. 

The keiki and their ʻohana went on huakaʻi (field trips) to Aloun Farms in Kapolei and Waimānalo Country Farms. The programs enjoyed a variety of activities offered at the farms including hay rides through palaʻai (pumpkin), corn, or sunflower fields. 

“To come together as one big preschool ‘ohana and return to in-person field trips has been a blessing for our families after being virtual for so long,” said Jess Reyes, Ka Paʻalana program Assistant. “There’s something truly special about seeing a smile face-to-face, exploring new environments, and making fun memories together.”

Some keiki visited a small petting zoo, where they heard the different noises and observed the animals that they may have never seen before like goats, lamas, and pigs. They even got to feed animals hay, who ate straight out of the kids’ hands.

Visiting the farms is a great way for keiki to explore how their Fall time favorite palaʻai are grown and where they come from. Each ʻohana picked out their own local-grown pumpkin to take home and do with it as they please, like carve, paint, or eat! 

“My baby’s first Huaka’i and Ka Pa’alana never disappoints. Charlotte especially enjoyed looking for pumpkins and meeting new friends. Forever grateful!,” said Grace. 

Throughout the year the program curriculum guides keiki to observe particular things and notice them when they’re out on field trips. In class at Ka Paʻalana, the students just learned about round shapes and are asked to observe the things in their lives that are round, like pumpkins!

Mahalo to our supporters

Because of you, Keola along with Ali from Raising Cane’s were able to present a check for $17,250 to Partners in Development Foundation, a local non-profit organization that empowers families to navigate social challenges and to grow self-resiliency, vibrancy, and healthy, secure communities. Donations can still be collected here through the Christmas weekend.

Keola and 1027 Da Bomb are grateful to Raising Cane’s for matching $7,500 of your donations and for providing box combos to those who donated.  Together, we are proud to support Partners in Development Foundation who believe that nurturing family success will ignite their ability to serve others. Below are just a few of the programs that your donations will support and the list of all the generous donors.

Nā Pono No Nā ‘Ohana is a comprehensive family education program serving the Waimānalo community. By integrating progressive teaching methods with Native Hawaiian cultural values, Nā Pono No Nā ‘Ohana seeks to improve social, economic, and educational opportunities for families in the program. Click here to learn more about Nā Pono

Ka Paʻalana Family Education Program aims to increase the success and self-sufficiency of homeless and ALICE ® (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) families. In addition to its nationally accredited preschool site at Hope Shelter, Ka Pa’alana has numerous mobile and virtual preschool sites and outreach services on the Leeward Oʻahu coast and Hawaiʻi Island. Click here to learn more about Ka Paʻalana

Project Pilina recruits and guides resource caregiver (foster parent) applicants through the first steps of the general licensing process to foster in Hawaiʻi. There are approximately 1,500 children and youth in Hawaiʻi’s foster care system and nearly 50% are Native Hawaiian. Click here to learn more about becoming a resource caregiver

Partners in Development Foundation (PIDF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity that inspires and equips families and communities for success and service, using timeless Native Hawaiian values and traditions. The goal is to help these communities overcome difficult challenges in ways that would make them, in turn, teachers and helpers of others in need. Since 1997, PIDF has served over 128,000 people in over 50 communities across the Hawaiian Islands. To learn more about all of PIDF’s programs serving Hawaiian families, visit pidf.org.

Mahalo to our donors:

Dianna Tamale-Bowman
Lani Bowman
Brent Wong
Jessica LaGassey-Simpson
Mara Mulrooney
Kelsey Conant
Mary Ellayn Ortal
Shyla Layugan
Jessica Tanaka
Danielle G
Lucienne (Annie) Zablan
Henry Alvarado
Andrew Lui-Kwan
Michele Burke
Elizabeth Kanady
Sandra Abdelahad
Keene Inafuku
Kristy Okuhara
Jennifer Okimoto
Di Aiu
Mahalo Tours – Charles and Rhonda
Brian Higuchi
Koji Collier
Jennifer Sasaki
Scott I
Lynn Nguyen
Lauren Imada
Koy Collier
Joshua Green
Laurene Young
Rosaly Mamuad
Joshua Mednick
Ruth Ryan on behalf of Kaitlynn McGuire age 9
Chris Rainone
Matthew Thoene
Christopher-Cj Martin
Joey Allagonez
Cindy Tom
Megan Small
Lisa Rodrigues
Jeri Arucan
Michael Santos
Ethel Sumibcay
Shelly Kaneko
Grant Sugawara
Julie Saldania
Catherine Ronco
Elizabeth Pasig
Meagan Oki
Brycen Ikeda
Benjamin Mamuad
Kaito Muranaka
Jaymee Nugal
Audria Stroup
JONATHAN CLEMENTS
Kelikiano Chaves
TONY G
Matthew Hallbauer
Driana Lagrimas
Lisa Kaneshiro
Marcia Yamada
Kaloke Canady
C J
Dana Brown
Wen Chiang
Jennifer Cook-Fujioka
Kelsey Thornberry
Ron Darton
Kathy Wamser
Jessica Johns
Spencer Hagerman
Michael Ramos aka “Uncle Olaf”!
Matthew Chang
Sandra Eligado
Phat Joe
Lisa Imai
Kaela Finstad
Ali Urbick
Carol Batangan-Rivera
Casey Shoda
Danielle G
William Makaneole
Celia Sasaki
Luat Tran
David Ing
Jacquelyn Sato
Jennifer Bower
Danielle Elefsrud
Caitlin Smith
Jordan Mckenzie
Amanda Jordan
CHERILYN EVANGELISTA
Rachel Gastelum
Dogtown Bakery
James Stobie
Pam K.
Rainbow Bridge gift shop
Jen & Cassidy Chang
D. Chang
Justine Stamen Arrillaga
Kyle Ortiz
Christalynn Ortiz
Leilani Bonifacio
Tracy Shoales
Carolyn Pacheco
Wendy King
Christine Loo
Dena Hamada
Jose Katipunan
Lili Ann Sora
Lance Rae
Amy Hill

Original story published on Honolulu Civil Beat on October 8, 2021 by Suevon Lee, here.

A nonprofit serving Native Hawaiian children and their families through educational and social service initiatives will launch a new savings program in partnership with a bank to help families build financial security using a $2.5 million grant under the federal American Rescue Plan.

Hawaii’s Partners in Development Foundation was among the nearly two dozen beneficiaries of a combined $28.1 million in federal grants under the Native Hawaiian Education Program announced by U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz’s office last month.

PIDF said in a news release Thursday it will use its grant to create and manage up to 800 savings accounts for children enrolled in programs it oversees — such as Tutu and Me preschool, Ka Paʻalana Homeless Family Education and Na Pono No Na Ohana Family Education in Waimanalo, in partnership with American Savings Bank. Families involved in early education programs run by the nonprofit INPEACE will also be eligible to enroll.

Together, these programs serve close to 6,500 individuals.

Families will receive an initial deposit for their accounts and have the opportunity to receive matching funds as they work their way through a series of workshops. These will include sessions focusing on skills such as managing money, building savings, protecting income and assets, paying for child care or preschool or saving for a child’s college education.

The matching funds will be based on a families’ level of participation.

Shawn Kana‘iaupuni, president and CEO of Partners in Development Foundation, said in an interview that the idea behind the initiative, known as Keiki Assets Account or Ka‘a, was to build something that had “more enduring impact” for low-income Native Hawaiian families as they weathered the impacts of the pandemic.

The nonprofit participated in food and supplies distribution to communities in need during the height of the Covid crisis, and also ran an isolation quarantine shelter for the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community, but wanted to leverage these federal dollars to last well into future generations.

That includes offering a toolkit to help families work toward building wealth so they can better prepare for their children’s educations. One of the existing barriers for many families, Kana‘iaupuni said, is a lack of access to information on the basics of financial literacy. The nonprofit hopes to connect participants to the resources they need, including life coaches or mentors, that incorporate culturally responsive concepts.

“What are the root causes of the multi-generational poverty and longstanding educational divides?” Kana‘iaupuni said. “Some families have borne a greater brunt of the pandemic than others, as far as economic hardship, death rates, jobs and mobility and educational disparities and the ability to stay engaged online with their kids.”

The group is planning to offer seed deposit amounts of $200 to $400 for up to 850 children and their caregivers, with the goal of families accumulating $4,000 or more in total savings with full participation over three years.

“It’s not something we’ve ever done before, to infuse the income directly into the hands of people,” Kana‘iaupuni said. “The thinking was, how to be a support system for families in getting this money to them in ways that are aligned with better educational outcomes?”

The keiki of the Partners in Development Foundation’s programs in underserved communities will receive supplies as they prepare for an in-person school year. If you missed Saturday’s event but want to donate, PID will keep this link open until Aug. 3: https://partners-in-development-foundation-d57d4d.networkforgood.com/projects/136121-back-to-school-drive.

A back to school drive at the WalMart in the Town Center of Mililani brought in hundreds of supplies – and dollars – for needy keiki. The nonprofit group Partners in Development Foundation (PIDF) will give out the nearly 90 backpacks stuffed with school tools to preschool- and elementary-aged kids on Oahu and the Big Island. The fundraiser also netted $700 in cash.

By the 2 p.m. close, “We did manage to fill up the Chevy Traverse with donated school supplies, right up to the ceiling and overflowing,” says 94.7 KUMU-FM newscaster/ host Esme Infante, who emceed the event.

The two PIDF programs that will receive these supplies serve (ALICE) Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed Communities. The Ka Pa’alana family education program serves the Leeward coast of O’ahu and Hawaii Island, and Na Pono No Na Ohana youth education program serves families in Waimanalo.

Cutter Chevrolet sponsored the event, which was organized by the radio station 94.7 KUMU, of Pacific Media Group. Event volunteer and Cutter Ford salesperson Lance Threefingers says, “We’re all a community in Hawaii. Everyone at Cutter, too. We have to come together and support everyone as much as we can.”

94.7 KUMU-FM provided the music. In addition to emceeing, Infante conducted prize giveaways from sponsors. If you missed Saturday’s event but want to donate, PID will keep this link open until Aug. 3: https://partners-in-development-foundation-d57d4d.networkforgood.com/projects/136121-back-to-school-drive.

Your Waianae Boat Harbor team has been on top of their game! Every week setting up a zoom class, delivering our kōkua kits and going out of their way to deliver farm produce boxes. It really gives me and my son something to look forward to each week, said Kalia, a Ka Paʻalana parent.

While the enrollment process has not changed and continues year-round, Ka Paʻalana recognized that many more families are in need of assistance. Any ʻohana that is interested, even those who live on the mainland, may now join the program. The program’s priority remains for at-risk, vulnerable families experiencing lack of housing with keiki birth through five.

At the beginning of the pandemic virtual attendance was pretty low. So, the Ka Paʻalana team persisted in encouraging ʻohana to join in on the virtual fun. The team works to wipe away the fear and embarrassment parents might have not knowing how to log on, understand the software, not having access to the technology, or being concerned about their keiki looking presentable on screen.

Ka Paʻalana navigated their community through the uncertainty, assuring them that connecting online is just as safe a space as it is in person. Ka Paʻalana also prepares and distributes many other supplemental materials and services:

• Wifi on Wheels: van that provides a 100- to 200-foot network range to connect social distancing keiki with their virtual schools on the Leeward side of Oʻahu.
  • Monday-Friday, 8:30a.m.- 11a.m., US Vets Paiolu Kaiaulu Shelter
  • Monday-Friday, 12p.m.-2p.m., Kauiokalani Housing Complex parking lot
• Class Dojo: an app that allows keiki to log in at any time, providing flexibility for parents and caregivers with multiple children per household
• Kōkua kits: upgraded to now include 10 lesson plans and independent learning activities per week that can be done alongside Class Dojo. Pick up, mailed, or no-contact drop off on Mondays.
• Zoom: 30-minute to hour-long live classes that allow keiki and ʻohana to stop what they’re doing and focus on each other. One-on-one classes with teachers and home visiting is also available.
• Food: donations from partners like Aloun farms, Costco canned goods, Ham Produce and Seafood, and Chef Hui Hawaiʻi are coupled with kōkua kits as much as possible, but dates may vary.
• Clothes: clean keiki clothes and diapers available for no-contact drop-offs

While the team seems like they work nonstop, Ka Paʻalana is always looking for ways to improve. Feedback from paper surveys handed out during distributions or from online sessions have helped the team cater their services and donations to meet the needs of the ʻohana during this time of the pandemic.

If you’d like to help and support Ka Paʻalana, they are happy to accept donations as simple as headphones for keiki who have to take classes with large ʻohana in small spaces. Other items like hygiene products, ie., diapers, wipes, towels, and blankets or batteries and power back ups for electronics are always in need. For more information, contact us!

From August 1st, Ka Paʻalana sites will enhance their online services and prepare for reopening with modifications on November 1st, 2020. The enhanced online services will include implementing online intake for new families, taking regular parent surveys online, and a possible expansion of the Wifi Mobile project among other measures.

Anticipated modifications from November 1st include stocking adequate PPE and cleaning supplies for all sites, determining capacity with respect to social distancing measures, following the latest DHS guidelines, and more.

Ka Paʻalana staff have been utilizing ClassDojo for preschool and parenting classes four days a week since March 30th, and their weekly Kokua Kit distribution recently extended to Kauaʻi.

For more information, contact the Ka Paʻalana office at (808) 596-8711.