PACT, Kama‘aina Kids Partner For Education

Leeward keiki will benefit from a special federal partnership grant awarded to Parents And Children Together (PACT) and Kama‘aina Kids.

The Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership will fund a collaboration between the two local organizations in order to provide early-education learning opportunities for Leeward infants and toddlers.

PACT was awarded the grant last December at the White House Summit on Early Education, which supports President Barack Obama’s mission to expand access to high-quality early-education opportunities across the United States.

“There is a huge need for early childhood education in Hawaii,” said PACT CEO Ryan Kusumoto. “PACT and Kama‘aina Kids will provide comprehensive early childhood education services for low-income parents and children, and children with special needs.”

PACT’s partnership with Kama‘aina Kids is something Kusumoto is excited about.

“Kama‘aina Kids is a well-established early-childhood education provider in the state,” he continued. “They have a proven track record of success, and the formation of this type of partnership can only strengthen early-childhood programs.”

Many families on the Leeward side of Oahu cannot afford early childhood education. This grant will allow for 80 children up to 3 years old, whose families meet the income eligibility requirements, to benefit from the Early Head Start curriculum.

The curriculum promotes cognitive and language development, social and emotional development, and engaging the child’s life-long learning foundations.

The partnership’s end goal is to lay a good foundation for West Oahu’s at-risk children so they can succeed.

Check out PACT online at pacthawaii.org. To find out more about Kama‘aina Kids, visit kamaainakids.com.