MAUI FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES INC

EARLY HEAD START (EHS) IS A NO-COST, FEDERALLY FUNDED PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES INDIVIDUALIZED AND COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES THAT BEGIN DURING PREGNANCY AND CONTINUE UNTIL A CHILD IS THREE YEARS OLD. SERVICES ARE OFFERED ON MAUI AND MOLOKA'I. EHS PROMOTES EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT BY USING AN EVIDENCE-BASED CURRICULUM THAT PROMOTES HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT AND SCHOOL READINESS GOALS IN THREE AREAS: LANGUAGE LEARNING AND EARLY LITERACY SKILLS; POSITIVE APPROACHES TO LEARNING AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT; HEALTHY GROWING BODIES AND PHYSICAL MOVEMENT; AND POSITIVE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SKILLS AND RELATIONSHIPS. EHS OFFERS HIGHLY QUALIFIED SPECIALISTS IN MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH, CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND NUTRITION; SERVICES TO CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS OR DISABILITIES; PARENT INVOLVEMENT AND VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES; FAMILY ENGAGEMENT IN ENSURING UP-TO-DATE WELL-BABY CHECKS; IMMUNIZATIONS AND DENTAL CHECKUPS; FORMAL AND INFORMAL DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENTS TO TRACK GROWTH AND LEARNING; AND A HEALTHY AND SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY. PREGNANT WOMEN AND FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN 0-3 YEARS OLD WHO ARE LOW INCOME AND CATEGORICALLY ELIGIBLE (RECEIVING TANF OR SSI, EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, AND CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE) ARE PRIORITIZED TO BE ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM. MFSS PROVIDES TWO EHS PROGRAM OPTIONS, HOME-BASED AND CENTER-BASED. HOME-BASED PARTICIPANTS RECEIVE WEEKLY HOME VISITS AND TWICE-MONTHLY SOCIALIZATIONS. MFSS EHS HAS TWO CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTERS IN WAILUKU, ONE IN LAHAINA, AND ONE PARTNERSHIP IN HANA. IN PROGRAM YEAR 2023, EHS SERVICED 98 FAMILIES, 90 CHILDREN, AND 11 PREGNANT WOMEN, AND IS FUNDED BY THE OFFICE OF HEAD START, COUNTY OF MAUI, STATE OF HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, AND FOUNDATION GRANTS INCLUDING MAUI UNITED WAY AND THE SAMUEL N. AND MARY CASTLE FOUNDATION.

HO'OWAIWAI KAIAULU - THE HO'OWAIWAI KAIAULU PROJECT IS AN UMBRELLA PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES SEVERAL OPTIONS TO SERVE FAMILIES INCLUDING; HO'OWAIWAI KAIAULU HOME VISITING (HKHV-HALE HI'IPOI INFANT/TODDLER CENTER IN HANA, KANE CONNECTIONS, YOUTH SERVICES, AND OUTREACH AND RESOURCE SPECIALIST (OARS). THIS FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION-FUNDED PROJECT AIMS TO STRENGTHEN HAWAII FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN FROM INFANCY TO FIVE YEARS. THE OVERALL GOAL OF HO'OWAIWAI KAIAULU PROJECT IS TO SUPPORT CHILDREN IN DEVELOPING READING, AND LITERACY SKILLS; SERVE AT-RISK YOUTH; HELP REDUCE NATIVE HAWAIIAN UNDEREMPLOYMENT AND PROMOTE THE NATIVE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE. HO'OWAIWAI KAIAULU SERVICES ARE FUNDED IN ALL OR IN PART (WHERE NOTED) BY THE FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, NATIVE HAWAIIAN EDUCATION PROGRAM (NHEP). HKHV IS A PROGRAM CENTERED AROUND THE FAMILY AND PROVIDES INDIVIDUALIZED AND COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES FOCUSED ON SUPPORTING PARENTING SKILLS AND APPRECIATING THE IMPORTANCE OF NURTURING AND EFFECTIVE, POSITIVE GUIDANCE WHILE INCORPORATING HAWAIIAN CULTURE AND VALUES. HKHV PROVIDES SERVICES FREE OF CHARGE TO MAUI AND MOLOKA'I FAMILIES WHO WOULD LIKE MORE SUPPORT IN RAISING THEIR CHILDREN. FAMILIES MAY JOIN DURING PREGNANCY UP UNTIL THEIR CHILD STARTS KINDERGARTEN. HOME-BASED SERVICES MAY CONTINUE UNTIL THE CHILD BEGINS KINDERGARTEN. IN FY2023, 34 FAMILIES WERE SERVICED ON MAUI AND MOLOKA'I WITH 176 HOME/VIRTUAL VISITS. HKHV IS FUNDED BY NHEP AND THE OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS. THE HALE HI'IPOI INFANT/TODDLER CENTER IS THE ONLY LICENSED INFANT/TODDLER CENTER OFFERING SERVICES TO HANA'S COMMUNITY. IT PROVIDES A SAFE AND DEVELOPMENTALLY ENRICHING ENVIRONMENT TO CHILDREN 6 SIX WEEKS TO 3 YEARS OLD. IT IS LICENSED FOR 12 INFANTS/TODDLERS. IN FY2023, 11 CHILDREN FROM 11 FAMILIES WERE SERVED; 100% OF ALL CHILDREN ENROLLED WERE AT AGE-APPROPRIATE DEVELOPMENTAL LEVELS; 100% OF ALL ENROLLED FAMILIES HAVE RECEIVED HOME/SCHOOL CONNECTION ACTIVITIES; AND 100% OF ALL ENROLLED CHILDREN COMPLETED AN ACTIVE TRANSITION PLAN BY AGE 2. THE HALE HI'IPOI PROGRAM IS FUNDED BY NHEP AND KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS. KANE CONNECTIONS PROVIDES GROUP AND 1:1 SUPPORT TO MEN IN MAUI COUNTY, INCLUDING FATHERS, UNCLES, GRANDFATHERS OR WHO OTHERWISE HAVE A ROLE IN A CHILD'S LIFE. IN ADDITION TO SERVING MEN DIRECTLY, KANE CONNECTIONS ALSO PROVIDES PARENTING GROUPS BASED ON NATIVE HAWAIIAN VALUES THAT IS OPEN TO MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE CAREGIVERS OF YOUNG CHILDREN. THESE GROUPS, CALLED HUI KANE AND KAMALAMA PARENTING, MEET VIRTUALLY EACH WEEK. IN ADDITION TO GROUP TIME, MEN OR PARENTS MAY RECEIVE 1:1 SUPPORT WHEN NEEDED. IN FY2023, KANE CONNECTIONS SERVED 255, OF WHICH 155 WERE FATHERS AND GRANDFATHERS, AND 59 PARENTS (FATHERS AND MOTHERS) PARTICIPATED IN THE KAMALAMA PARENTING GROUP. THE KANE CONNECTIONS PROGRAM IS FUNDED BY NHEP AND THE COUNTY OF MAUI. YOUTH SERVICES SERVES THE MAUI COUNTY COMMUNITY BY PROVIDING LIFE SKILLS TRAINING (LST) IN INTERMEDIATE AND HIGH SCHOOLS ON MAUI AND MOLOKA'I. GROUPS ARE HELD DURING SCHOOL HOURS OR AFTER SCHOOL ON CAMPUS. STUDENTS RECEIVE LST LESSONS FOCUSING ON SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION, COMMUNICATION, HANDLING PEER PRESSURE, AND OTHER TOPICS. IN FY2023, THE YOUTH SERVICES PROGRAM SERVED 1,500 STUDENTS. THE YOUTH SERVICES PROGRAM IS FUNDED BY NHEP, COUNTY OF MAUI, AND THE STATE OF HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. OUTREACH AND RESOURCE SPECIALISTS (OARS) SCREENS FAMILIES FOR RISK FACTORS ON MAUI AND MOLOKA'I AND REFERS THEM TO COMMUNITY RESOURCES AND SERVICES INCLUDING HKHV OR OTHER HOME VISITING PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE FAMILIES. IN FY2023, OVER 1,300 FAMILIES WERE SCREENED AND PROVIDED WITH RESOURCE INFORMATION AND APPROPRIATE REFERRALS; 176 FAMILIES REFERRED FOR HOME VISITING SERVICES.