Aloha Council Members,
My name is Melanie Padgett and I am the supervisor at the Maui County Early Childhood Resource Center (MCECRC), which is a program of Maui Family Support Services, Inc. (MFSS). I would like to thank you for supporting Maui County families by providing funding for the Early Childhood Programs, specifically the Early Childhood Resource Center & Subsidies Grant and the Early Childhood Family Literacy Grant. The Maui County Early Childhood Resource Center provides Resource and Referral Services to more than 300 families of young children each year. The families we serve are all struggling to make ends meet as the cost-of-living rises. Over half of our clients are paying more than 30% of their net income in rent, some as much as 60-70%. The rest are living with extended family because they can’t afford any rent. The biggest need clients of the Center have is for financial aid for quality childcare so that parents are able to work or continue their educations. MCECRC staff members assist parents to apply and qualify for the federal, state and private childcare subsidies they are eligible for. If families need for childcare aid cannot be met by the federal, state or private subsidies, they are guided to apply for the County of Maui Child Care Subsidies. So far, in FY 24, 123 children have qualified for financial aid provided by the County of Maui to attend Preschools, Infant/Toddler Centers, and licensed family childcare homes in all areas of Maui County, including 20 children on Lanai attending E Malama I Na Keiki O Lanai Preschool, and 8 children attending Na Kamalii Hoaloha Preschool on Molokai. Please note that while 123 children have been approved for the County of Maui Subsidies, a further 200 plus children were helped to qualify for federal, state or private subsidies in FY24.
While MCECRC supports families by helping them to access childcare, we also seek to strengthen parents as their child’s first teacher by providing high quality children’s books to families through the Reach Out and Read Program and Dolly Parton Imagination Libraries. In FY24 we partnered with pediatricians at 7 Maui County health clinics (including 1 each in Hana and on Lanai and Molokai to give 12,000 books to children ages birth to 5 during their well-child visits. We launched an online early childhood library for childcare providers and home visitors to enrich the literacy activities for the children in their care.
Thank you for your continued support of the Maui County Child Care Resource Center and the families and childcare providers we serve. I invite you to stop by and visit the Center which is located at 2099 Wells St. Wailuku.

Melanie Padgett
808-242-1608, mauiecrc@gmail.com

From: takahashiyuko <yuque@icloud.com>
Sent: Friday, April 19, 2024 11:45:16 AM (UTC-10:00) Hawaii
To: BFED Committee <BFED.Committee@mauicounty.us>
Subject: Testimony in support of Maui Economic Development Board’s Economic Development Grant

Aloha,

This is Yuko Takahashi, I am supporting the Maui Economic Development Board’s grant.

My son goes Lokelani intermediate school.
My family speaks Japanese at home and he is not good at English, so he is very shy at school.
But he attends Stem class and He is now able to do what he is good at and has gained confidence.

His younger sister will be entering Lokelani intermediate school soon,
so I am very excited to see how much the Stem class will help her.

My son recommending Stem Class to his sister and other friends to see how much fun it is.
As a parent, I am very grateful.

Mahalo

Yuko Takahashi