Child care in West Maui just got a significant boost with the opening of three dedicated classrooms for various educational programs at Princess Nahiʻenaʻena Elementary School, an initiative spearheaded by the West Maui Early Childhood Collective to mitigate the effects of the devastating August 2023 wildfire, which wiped out 255 child care seats, to provide resources for families in need, with registration now open and subsidies on hand to assist in enrollment.
According to an announcement on the County of Maui website, Mayor Richard Bissen highlighted the importance of the initiative, saying, "Child care has been a priority for our residents, even more so after the fire," and pointing out the aim to give the keiki "access to comprehensive care and education, so they can build on a strong foundation to achieve future success in life." Maui County Early Childhood Resource Coordinator Kaʻina Bonacorsi, in a statement obtained by the publication, emphasized, "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"
The elementary school will now host programs such as Maui Family Support Services (MFSS) Early Head Start, Kamaʻāina Kids, and ‘Aha Pūnana Leo 'O Lahaina. These programs serve different age groups and offer a range of services, including free programs for eligible families and tuition-based care. MFSS' Early Head Start is free for qualifying families. For more details, contact information is available from the county.
Alongside the child care services, these programs are creating job opportunities in the community one can inquire directly with the providers, further strengthening the Lahaina workforce impacted by the wildfire and with a dedicated subsidy for the Kamaʻāina Kids program being offered by MFSS, eligible families with the necessary criteria, will benefit from a reduced co-payment plan, for which they can start the application process through a specific email contact provided by the collective.
