Happy Father's Day

Rep. Ryan Yamane (District 37 - Waipahu, Mililani) with son Daniel.

Happy Father's Day to all of Hawaii's hard working dads. This year, the legislature passed several measures that recognize the important role that fathers play in the lives of their children and families. SB1174 appropriates funds to support programs that strengthen the bonds between children and their incarcerated parents. One such successful model is the SKIP program (Strengthening Keiki of Incarcerated Parents) which works with fathers at the Waiawa correctional facility. Hawaii has approximately 3,163 incarcerated parents of 6,665 children within the state's prison system. In addition, SB249 makes the State Commission on Fatherhood permanent by removing the sunset date on the establishing legislation.

"When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years." – Mark Twain