Nadia Holt
Associate Director, Community Impact
Chamber of Commerce Hawai‘i
Behind every effort to support Hawai‘i’s keiki are champions leading the way. In this new series, we’re spotlighting one leader whose work is helping to strengthen the systems that care for our youngest keiki and their families. This month, we are honored to feature Nadia Holt. associate director, community impact at the Chamber of Commerce Hawai‘i, and a member of the Commit to Keiki Steering Committee.
Q: What personal or professional experiences have most shaped your commitment to supporting young children and families in Hawai‘i?
A: My commitment to supporting young children and families in Hawai‘i is deeply rooted in my own upbringing. My mom, an academic and mother of three, and former owner of a licensed family child care business, devoted her life to creating inclusive, developmentally appropriate learning environments. Her student-centered approach instilled in me a lasting respect for the idea that “play is the work of children.”
I saw firsthand the joy she brought to learning, but also the hardship faced by caregivers. When childcare costs became unsustainable, she had to leave her job in the tourism industry to work for the A+ after-school program, where she could actually earn an income while caring for children. That experience revealed how our systems often force families, especially women, to choose between financial stability and caregiving. But during my time as a caseworker, I also spent time with children of families enduring challenging circumstances that didn’t enable them the same opportunities. At Next Step homeless shelter, there were keiki with so much to say, but were language deprived due to preventable environmental factors. That always bothers me.
These early lessons, as well as studies in developmental psychology, nutrition, and political science have shaped my conviction that, “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men,” as Frederick Douglass once put.
Q: From your perspective, what does a strong, resilient early childhood system look like? What’s at stake if we fail to strengthen it?
A: A strong, resilient early childhood system is one where our investments in young children are matched by investments in the people and structures that care for them. It means streamlining and sustaining a qualified, well-supported early childhood workforce — ensuring educators can thrive in stable environments making above living wage and are afforded opportunities for professional growth.
It also means strategic, cross-sector collaboration: public and private partners, agencies, and employers working together to remove barriers to quality care — from the lack of physical spaces to outdated funding models. Through honest, informed dialogue, we can expand innovative policies and make early care and education a shared community responsibility rather than a private burden.
When this system is strong, families can participate fully in the workforce, keiki receive the nurturing foundation they deserve, and our economy grows from the inside out. If we fail to strengthen it, Hawai‘i risks deepening inequities, losing more educators to burnout, more outmigration and brain drain, and compromising the future potential of our youngest generation.
Q: Is there a project, program, or initiative you’ve been involved in —in the past — that you feel represents meaningful progress for young keiki and families? What was its focus, and what impact did it have?
A: One initiative that stands out for me is volunteering as a docent with the Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation’s ʻĀINA In Schools program, which brings garden-based nutrition education into public schools and helps keiki connect to the ʻāina and their food sources.
As a community docent, I led hands-on lessons where we learned about “close to the source” foods, nutrition label literacy, and prepared simple, healthy snacks using ingredients they harvested themselves — from poi smoothies to colorful birds nest salads. Though I still don’t have children of my own, I witnessed how a community-led, place-based model helped young learners internalize lessons about their health and sustainability in joyful, memorable ways. Many went home to share that knowledge with their families, nurturing intergenerational wellness.
This represents meaningful progress because it shows how values-driven programs can be woven into the public education system. ʻĀINA In Schools models how we can prioritize children’s well-being through experiential, developmentally appropriate learning that strengthens both family bonds and our community connection.
Q: Is there a project, program, or initiative you’re currently supporting that you would like to highlight?
A: I’m currently involved with the Hawai’i Untapped Potential report, an economic impact study led by the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. The goal of this initiative was to quantify how breakdowns in child care affect Hawaiʻi’s workforce participation and economic growth for our state.
Beyond the data, the report is intended to strengthen the reframing of the conversation: rather than seeing child care as a private family matter, it positions access to quality, affordable early care as essential economic infrastructure. The findings revealed that child care disruptions cost Hawaiʻi an estimated $1.18 billion annually, including in direct employer losses from turnover and absenteeism and in lost state tax revenue.
Q: Where do you see the greatest opportunity to strengthen systems that serve Hawai‘i’s youngest keiki and their caregivers?
A: There is tremendous opportunity in coming together to reexamine the value our society places on early childhood educators and to recognize the profound return their work yields — for children, families, and our global community. Achieving this requires a paradigm shift: one that focuses on addressing root causes rather than surface-level symptoms, and that elevates care and education as essential infrastructure for a thriving society.
Strengthening our systems begins with education. When decision-makers truly understand the urgency, complexity, and potential of the early care and education sector, they are more equipped to dismantle barriers and drive lasting change. This shift is already underway — informing cross-sector collaboration among employers, legislators, and agencies — and aligns with Hawai‘i’s broader commitment to innovative, people-centered solutions that improve both well-being and the cost of living.
Preventing Family Violence Begins with Early Investment in Families
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month—a time to reflect on how we, as a community, can ensure every keiki grows up in a safe and nurturing home. In Hawai‘i, too many young children experience or witness family violence each year. Nearly 600 children under the age of five are confirmed victims of abuse or neglect annually, and experts believe the true number may be as much as five times greater than the number of reports. Most of these cases involve parents or caregivers, showing how critical early prevention and family support are to protecting our youngest keiki.
Exposure to violence in the home affects a child’s healthy development. It can harm brain growth, interfere with learning, and lead to long-term emotional and behavioral challenges. The impact is also economic. The lifetime cost of child maltreatment in Hawai‘i is estimated at $2.6 billion dollars, placing a heavy burden on health care, education, and our workforce.
Family violence can be prevented. Research shows that prevention starts with early investment through community partnerships, accessible support systems, and policies that strengthen family stability. Studies have found a strong link between parental stress, economic hardship, and higher rates of child and partner maltreatment. When families have access to affordable child care, early learning, mental health services, and steady financial supports, stress and isolation are reduced. These protective factors create safer, more stable homes and help prevent violence before it occurs.
Commit to Keiki’s family violence prevention pillar calls for coordinated action to build a network of care that keeps young keiki safe and families strong. To move this work forward, we must:
· Prioritize family safety in state and county budgets and legislation.
· Strengthen economic supports that reduce financial stress and help families meet their basic needs.
· Expand prevention programs home visiting, family resource centers and family support programs.
· Promote collaboration among agencies and service providers to close gaps in care.
As we observe Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we are reminded that protecting Hawai‘i’s youngest keiki requires leadership, collaboration, and sustained investment. By addressing the root causes of violence, including stress, poverty, and lack of support, we can prevent harm before it happens.
