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Project Description:
Hawaii has a long history of developing innovative, research-based models to support the healthy growth and development of children, youth, and families. The nationally acclaimed Healthy Start community outreach and home-visiting program for new parents has dramatically reduced the risk of child abuse and neglect while promoting optimal child development. Hawaii also stands as a national model in its provision of nearly universal health insurance coverage, its support for quality preschool education, and its family leave policies that provide opportunities for new parents to stay home with their infants.
The Office of the Governor, the state legislature, and the Hawaii Medical Association are now developing a comprehensive strategy to create a "pro-family preventive service system," that will draw these model efforts together into a sustainable initiative that will link all Hawaii's families and young children to the services and supports they need. A public-private partnership group of government, business, philanthropic, and community leaders has been formed to oversee the systems planning.
Hawaii's Starting Points initiative will test the feasibility of developing such a universal early childhood system in three demographically diverse communities. Each community will convene a multisectoral leadership group to analyze parents' needs and to assess the effectiveness of available programs and supports. The groups will develop action plans for teenage pregnancy prevention, effective prenatal care, parent education and support, high-quality child care, and the provision of comprehensive health coverage for all families in need.
State funding will allow the University of Hawaii Center on the Family to evaluate the community efforts. The state partnership group will use the data to develop a blueprint for a statewide system to implement the key recommendations of Starting Points.
The Hawaii initiative is led by the Hawaii Medical Association and the governor's office. There is strong support for the project from Hawaii's business and philanthropic sectors, including the Hawaii Business Roundtable and Hawaii Community Foundation. In addition, as a major contributor, the Queen Emma Foundation will award a $2.4 million grant in furthering Hawaii's efforts to advance the Starting Points objectives.
Major Program Components:
Contact:
Donna Ching
1, 2, 3 - Steps to a Stronger Community
Hawaii State Capitol
4th Floor, Diamand Head
Honolulu, HI 96813
Tel: 808/586-0140, Fax: 808/586-0122
E-mail: cmae@pixi.com
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