In our ongoing Living808 series with KHON, we’ve been diving deeper into the key issues affecting Hawai‘i’s youngest keiki and their families. Our latest segment, which aired on March 17, explores the powerful role of peer support in helping families navigate life’s challenges.
Throughout the 2025 legislative session, Commit to Keiki will be actively tracking bills that align with our three (3) priorities – child care and early learning, family violence prevention, and early childhood mental health.
Throughout the 2025 legislative session, Commit to Keiki will be actively tracking bills that align with our three (3) priorities – child care and early learning, family violence prevention, and early childhood mental health.
On October 14, 2024, Commit to Keiki hosted two Hawaiʻi Island Mayoral Candidate Forums with incumbent Mayor Mitch Roth and Dr. Kimo Alameda. The forums provided an opportunity to understand their individual approaches to early childhood development and their plans to support the well-being of our youngest keiki and their families, if elected.
On August 28, 2024, Commit to Keiki hosted its 2nd Annual Partnership Breakfast with Governor Josh Green M.D. and First Lady Jaime Kanani Green. Alongside U.S. Representative Jill Tokuda, Kauaʻi Mayor Derek Kawakami, representatives from the City and County of Honolulu, Maui County and Hawaiʻi County, and the Commit to Keiki Steering Committee, the breakfast provided an opportunity for state and local leaders to discuss strategies to improve outcomes for Hawaiʻi’s youngest keiki and families.
The West Maui Early Childhood Collective, a group formed in response to the Lahaina wildfires, has helped to reopen three early childcare centers/classrooms at Princess Nāhiʻenaʻena Elementary School in Lahaina. The centers, which include the Maui Family Support Services (MFSS) Early Head Start program, Kamaʻāina Kids infant and toddler program, and the ʻAha Pūnana Leo preschool program, were officially blessed on July 29, 2024 and are now open for families with young keiki in Lahaina.
As we approach the one-year anniversary of the devastating Maui wildfires that swept through our community on August 8, 2023, we pause to reflect on the journey of recovery and resilience that has unfolded over the past year. The fires, which tragically destroyed over 2,200 structures and caused approximately $5.5 billion in damages, left a profound impact on our community and families, particularly our young keiki.
Commit to Keiki’s Maui Recovery Spotlight Series highlights local organizations and nonprofits that have been working to ensure that Maui’s youngest keiki and their families receive the support and resources they need in the wake of the devastating wildfires.
The Association for Infant Mental Health Hawaiiʻi (AIMH HI) is offering free confidential infant and early childhood mental health consultation services for statewide providers who are serving keiki impacted by the Maui wildfires.
Keiki O Ka ʻĀina Family Learning Centers | Q&A with Me’ja Kaniho, Program Director, Keiki O Ka ʻĀina He Lei Piko Home Visiting Programs
