Isle children need access to preschool

Children and family figure prominently in just about any inventory of Hawaii’s priorities. So, it’s concerning that a new report finds the Aloha State has the nation’s least affordable center-based child care and — despite the price tag burden — demand for services far exceeds supply.

Hawaii is home to nearly 109,000 children under the age of 6, with about two-thirds in need of care because their parents work. Meanwhile, there are some 25,560 state-regulated child care seats — enough to serve roughly 1 in 4 children.

Options for keiki under age 3 are especially limited in rural areas, where licensed infant-toddler centers serve 1 in 37 children, according to the Hawaii Early Learning Needs Assessment, a study of care and learning programs for children from birth through age 5.

Produced by the University of Hawaii’s Center on the Family in partnership with the Hawaii Children’s Action Network, the report underscores the need for the state to quickly expand child care and preschool programs. A priority should be set on creating seats for the youngest keiki in underserved areas — starting on Kauai, Molokai or Lanai, where there are no infant-toddler centers.

Findings in developmental science point toward the importance of early-life experiences in shaping brain development. They suggest that instruction built on forming social and emotional skills through rich play as well as tackling tasks such as learning to count and matching letters can have a lifelong impact on children’s success.

In the interest of helping local families thrive in the present and have a brighter future, state lawmakers also must find a way to decrease out-of-pocket costs for low- and moderate-income families while protecting freedom of choice in selecting care.

The federal gauge for affordable child care is pegged at 7 percent of family income. In Hawaii, the average cost for a single child is 13 percent of median family income. A full-time seat at a child care center here costs an average of $9,500 a year, with infant care typically topping $13,000 a year.

Limited subsidy help is available for underserved and at-risk keiki through various programs. Among them is Hawaii’s Preschool Open Doors, which helps cover tuition for more than 1,700 children from low- and moderate-income families for the year before kindergarten. Families can use the program’s funds at any of the 434 state- licensed preschools.

Another problem the report points out is that Hawaii’s effective and innovative early learning programs are in short supply, due, in part, to staff retention challenges.

While almost three-quarters of our center-based assistant teachers hold early childhood education credentials or a college degree, early childhood education ranks among the nation’s lowest paid professions. In Hawaii, the median annual salary for child care workers is $19,540, rising to $34,360 for preschool teachers. The state must develop strategies to increase wages and benefits, and strengthen career paths for professionals playing a crucial role in successful early childhood development and elementary school prep.

Among the report’s recommendations is a persuasive call to expand public pre-kindergarten opportunities here. Established two years ago, Hawaii’s public preschool program serves about 500 low-income 4-year-olds and more than 1,500 children ages 3 to 5 with special needs. This year, the Legislature expanded the program by five classrooms for the 2018-2019 school year.

While recognized as a high-quality program, Hawaii’s public pre- kindergarten reach is a drop in the bucket. It includes roughly 2 percent of the state’s 4-year-olds. By comparison, nationwide, state-funded preschool enrollment last year reached nearly 1.5 million children — 32 percent of 4-year-olds.

Deborah Zysman, executive director of the nonprofit Hawaii Children’s Action Network, said: “If lawmakers and community leaders are serious about investing in Hawaii’s future, then we need to start with children from birth to 5 and collectively find solutions to the problems addressed in the study.”

She’s right, of course. Here’s hoping that the report prods further progress.