Early Childhood Development
One of our goals is for everyone in the community to be self-sufficient—to be able to provide for life’s basic needs without subsidy from government or others. A primary factor in achieving self-sufficiency is each person succeeding in our education system.
The Issue
Currently, 40% of children in Hawaii enter kindergarten up to 2 years behind their peers. That means that as many as 6,800 children start their schooling each year with a lesser chance of success.
Furthermore, the 2005 Quality of Life in Hawaii Report further supports a need for targeted focus in our educational system:
- 18% of public school students meet math DOE standards
- 38% of public school students meet reading DOE standards
- 82% of ninth graders graduate on time
- Less than 50% of public school seniors are accepted into higher education
- 26% of our population has earned a bachelor’s degree or more
Why Early Childhood Development?
- Recent research into brain development indicates that the first five years of a child’s life is critical to future success in education.
- The lack of adequate development in this first five years is one root cause of a child’s subsequent difficulties in our education system, and eventual struggle to reach self-sufficiency.
What We Are Doing
- AUW is partnering with a coalition of early childhood care and education service providers––led by Good Beginnings Alliance––to address this issue.
- Born Learning: is a public awareness and education campaign that especially helps family, friend, or neighbor caregivers, by providing easy to use tools that enable the caregiver to be an effective first teacher for the children they care for.
- Early Learning Educational Task Force: As a member of the ELETF, AUW is helping to develop and advocate for “an early learning system with supportive services for children and families that enable all of Hawaii’s children to be loved, safe, healthy and ready to succeed.”
- Partnering with labor unions and volunteers, AUW assembles and distributes “Grab and Go” kits for homeless and transitional families. These kits help ensure children enter school without delays by keeping vital records and information securely intact.
Results Matter
Last year your donation helped:
- Over 1,000 families receive “Born Learning” information and materials
- 2,474 children receive quality childcare to prepare for kindergarten
- 12,148 children participate in mentoring or tutoring programs
Read My Story
Mary from Waimanalo
My daughter recently gave birth to our first granddaughter and when she went back to work 3 months later, my husband and I were tasked with babysitting this little bundle of joy. The last time I raised a child was over 30 years ago so everything I learned seemed so outdated. However, my daughter brought home the Born Learning materials and I discovered how we could make “everyday” moments learning moments. My granddaughter is almost 2 now and I use these materials on a daily basis to get ideas and tips on how to make play time a learning experience for her, to confirm her progress in life and to simply have a fast, reliable and research-based kit that can assist me during those “What Do I Do” moments.
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