Landmark measure is part of joint legislative package to support
working families
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi –The House Committee on Lower & Higher Education and the House
Finance Committee today amended and passed HB2543
HD1 to expand early learning opportunities for 3 and 4 year old children
across the state. The bill now moves to the full House for a vote.
"Over the course of the last year we have been working on this
bill as a cost of living measure to address the lack of available early
learning centers across the state," said Representative Justin H. Woodson.
"Today we are making several amendments and adjustments to this bill, and
I want to thank everyone who has worked so hard to pass this measure because it
will greatly benefit our keiki and our working families."
The bill requires the
parents or guardians of public school kindergarten students to the disclose
information on the child's prior child care program or prekindergarten
attendance, if any, for the purpose of determining areas with the highest need
for prekindergarten and child care programs. It also requires the Department of
Education to assess kindergarten students, establishes the preschool open doors
trust fund and requires annual reporting. It expands Preschool Open Doors
Program
eligibility from 4-year-old children to all children who are 3 to 4
years old or will not be at least five years old on or before July 31 of the
current school year. It requires annual reporting regarding the revenues
and expenditures of the early learning special fund and establishes a program
for Department of Human Services to award grants for preschools. The bill appropriates
funds and authorizes positions for the preschool open doors program, appropriates
funds for the Department of Human Services to expand its information technology
system for the purpose of managing information on prekindergarten attendance
and child care need and to contract for and operate preschool and child care
programs. It establishes an Early Learning Coordinator position within the office of the Governor. It also establishes the goal of providing all
children who are 3 to 4 years old, or will not be at least five years old on or
before July 31 of the current school year, with enrollment in a preschool
program by the year 2030 and assigns that responsibility to the Early Learning
Coordinator. The bill appropriates funds to the ʻImiloa Astronomy Center for building
classrooms for Hawaiian language immersion pre-kindergarten programs and appropriates
funds for building early learning services classrooms on public library
property.
This early education bill is part of a joint
economic package introduced by the House and Senate, and supported
by the Ige Administration to address Hawaiʻi's cost of living obstacles. The joint working class economic
package is designed to tackle the issues highlighted in the Aloha United Way
sponsored report, "ALICE:
A Study of Financial Hardship in Hawaii."
Representative Sylvia Luke noted
that among more than 100 pages of testimony only two testifiers did not support
the bills. Luke said this shows the great need and support for expanding early
learning opportunities for our children.
"This bill provides an
overlay of our vision that within 10 years to provide all children with access
to early learning," Luke said. "It's not as easy as people think it
is. It's about providing full access and the ability of working families to
have their child ready to learn when they enter kindergarten. This is a huge
task and we have relied on you folks for your thoughtful advice and support to
get this bill where it is today."
Business, community and
nonprofit educational groups have been adamant in their support for this
measure.
“As a network of partners that support the health, safety
and learning of our youngest keiki, we are excited about the potential
expansion of child care and early learning programs for three and four-year
olds," said Kerrie Urosevich, Lead for
Network Design and Innovation at Hawai`i Early Childhood Action Strategy. "Over several decades,
early childhood partners have worked diligently to elevate the importance of
access to affordable and high-quality child care and early learning
opportunities, which strengthen family income and support early cognitive,
physical and social development. We are deeply grateful for the
proposed financial commitments by the legislature, philanthropy and business
sectors to make it happen. The implementation of this 10-year vision will
only be successful if we leverage the early childhood eco-system together,
with leaders from programs, philanthropy, business, the legislature, state
departments and families themselves. There is no more important job than
the one that builds the brains and hearts of our youngest in our society. Creating
viable plans that will ensure early childhood providers are able to make a
living wage in Hawai`i is imperative for the success of the expansion and
should be prioritized. The economic stimulus package, of which HB2543 is
a part, would begin to put families on the path toward economic stability and
begin to create the needed foundations for young keiki and families to thrive.”
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