From KTVB7 1/30/2026
As class started for more than a dozen toddlers at Onelau’ena Emergency Shelter in Kapolei, there were no tearful goodbyes or difficult separations from parents. Instead, family members sat cross-legged next to their children in the morning circle, joining the class in singing “Aloha Kakahiaka” and helping their kids use tambourines to keep the beat of the song.
The four-hour class, operated by the nonprofit Partners in Development Foundation, was as much of a learning opportunity for parents as it was for children. In addition to teaching families hands-on educational activities they can easily replicate at home, the program also provides parenting classes covering topics ranging from health and nutrition to job preparedness.
“It really taught me how to interact with my kid and also what kind of things help them to learn,” said parent Chelsea Kanehailua-Kay, who has brought her three sons to the program over the past several years.
The class is part of a statewide network of family and child interaction learning programs, which serve children ages 0 to 5 and their caregivers. The programs are largely located in rural and low-income areas of the state and incorporate Hawaiian language and culture into their instruction.
Last year, nearly 60% of the children participating in Partners in Development’s program were Native Hawaiian, although the classes are free and open to all families.
A handful of nonprofits run the programs, which are held at over 60 sites and rely heavily on federal grants under the Native Hawaiian Education program. But program leaders fear the number of sites could drop to fewer than 10 after this summer amid significant uncertainty around support for the Native Hawaiian Education program, whose funding was zeroed out in earlier versions of the federal budget.
The current budget package, which passed through the House last week, fully restores funding for the Native Hawaiian Education program. But even if the funding passes through Congress, providers say it’s unclear if the money will reach their programs as the government pulls back support for initiatives targeting minority groups and oversight of Native Hawaiian education undergoes significant change at the federal level.
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