STAND. COM. REP. 2485

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: S.B. No. 3230

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Human Services and Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 3230 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for childhood care programs.

Testimony is support of the measure was submitted by Rainbow Schools, Punana Leo o Ko'olauloa, Hawaii Family Support Institute, and five individuals.

Your Committees find that preschool aged children from low income families are academically at-risk upon reaching kindergarten due to the lack of affordable quality preschool education. Furthermore, there is scientific evidence that many of these children are inadequately nurtured and stimulated between birth and age five. Family support and health and early intervention services need to be holistically blended to meet the needs of young children and their families. This measure will assist in the healthy development of Hawaii's young children.

Accordingly, your Committees have amended the bill by clarifying the objectives of the early childhood care programs and specifying that the funding be used for "community-based, comprehensive direct service delivery systems".

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Education that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3230, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3230, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Education,

____________________________

NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair