West Maui Early Childhood Collective supports much-needed child care in Lahaina

Applications now being accepted for registration, subsidies

Registration is open and subsidy assistance is available for enrollment in child care programs in West Maui, following the opening of three classrooms dedicated to child care and supported by the County of Maui through the West Maui Early Childhood Collective.

The collective celebrated the opening of the classrooms at Princess Nahiʻenaʻena Elementary School in late July, as part of an effort to restore and expand childcare and early childhood services in Lahainafollowing the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfire.

"Child care has been a priority for our residents, even more so after the fire," said Mayor Richard Bissen. "Our goal is to make sure our keiki have access to comprehensive care and education, so they can build on a strong foundation to achieve future success in life."

The three programs housed at Princess Nahiʻenaʻena areMaui Family Support Services (MFSS) Early Head Start, Kamaʻāina Kids and 'Aha Pūnana Leo 'O Lahaina.

The Lahaina wildfire resulted in the loss of 255 licensed child care seats for children ages 6 weeks to preschool, with an additional 20 seats for 3- and 4-year-olds compromised. From the earliest days of recovery, re-establishing child care in Lahaina was a top priority, with the formal establishment of the collective in late October 2023.

"Early on, we recognized that child care was essential for the recovery of Lahaina," said Maui County Early Childhood Resource Coordinator Kaʻina Bonacorsi. "The entire workforce is dependent on reliable child care. Teachers being able to teach -- they need to have the peace of mind knowing they have a place to send their own little ones."

Of the 103 seats that have since been restored in Lahaina, 83 are available on the Princess Nahiʻenaʻena campus, which also includes the Maui Economic Opportunity Head Start program that reopened in April 2024 and the Executive Office of Early Learning (EOEL) Preschool.

"There was a shortage of early child care services even before the fire," Bonacorsi said. "While our goal is to restore what was taken away, we're not stopping there."

Maui Family Support Services Early Head Start is for keiki ages 6 weeks to 3 years old and is free for eligible families. Limited space is available, and enrollment is still open. For more information, visit https://www.mfss.org or call (808) 242-0900.

Kamaʻāina Kids is open for children ages 6 weeks to 3 years old and is tuition-based. Space is available. For more information, email [email protected]or call (808) 425-1474.

'Aha Pūnana Leo 'O Lahaina is currently accepting applications for its Kula Kamaliʻi Child Care Center for keiki ages 3 to 4 years old. The program is tuition-based. For more information, visit https://www.ahapunanaleo.org.

A dedicated subsidy for the Kamaʻāina Kids program at Princess Nahiʻenaʻena is being offered by MFSS. Eligible families will have a reduced co-payment based on family information provided with their application. Families who meet the qualifying criteria will be prioritized for assistance. To start the application process, email [email protected]to request a link to the program's eligibility screen, which will further outline qualifying criteria, required information and steps to apply.

Each program also has employment opportunities. To inquire, contact the individual providers.

The collective came to fruition through the partnership of government agencies and nonprofit organizations, including the County of Maui (Department of Human Concerns-Early Childhood Division, Office of Recovery, Officeof the Mayor, Department of Public Works), Hawaiʻi State Department of Education, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Maui Family Support Services, Kamaʻaina Kids, 'Aha Pūnana Leo, PATCH (People Attentive to Children), Hawaiʻi Community Foundation and Castle Foundation.

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