Report Title:

Hawaii Children's Trust Fund; Appropriation

Description:

Appropriates funds for the Hawaii Children's Trust Fund.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

269

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

RELATING TO THE HAWAII CHILDREN'S TRUST FUND.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that children are Hawaii's most precious asset. Unfortunately, too many children in Hawaii are threatened by the specter of child abuse and neglect. The extent of child abuse and neglect is difficult to accurately quantify, because many incidents of abuse or neglect are not reported to authorities. The prevalence of child abuse and neglect is, however, indisputable. Prevalence is determined by the overall numbers of reported cases and by surveys of unreported cases, which yield percentage figures in relation to the total population.

Experts believe that the effects of child abuse or neglect are unique to each individual child. Factors such as the intensity and frequency of the abuse, the child's characteristics, relationship to the perpetrator, and access to treatment and support services can influence the effects of abuse or neglect. Yet, it is undeniable that children who are abused or neglected often experience disrupted growth and development, including physical, cognitive, emotional, and/or social development, and these consequences tend to accumulate over time.

To help protect Hawaii's children from the injustice of abuse and neglect, the legislature in 1993, established the Hawaii children's trust fund, a public-private partnership that aims to prevent child abuse and neglect in Hawaii through family strengthening and other prevention programs, education and training, and public awareness campaigns. The trust fund makes grants to private, non-profit organizations, public agencies, and other qualified persons to provide community-based services and education to strengthen and support parents and families. The trust fund maximizes financial resources by actively soliciting funding from the federal and state governments, as well as private contributions from businesses, foundations, and other interested parties. Through this public-private partnership, elected and appointed government officials, service providers, families, and other interested individuals have been able to work together in a unique way to prevent child abuse and neglect in Hawaii.

The Hawaii Community Foundation (HCF) administers the children's trust fund. HCF has been successfully managing charitable endowments since 1916. According to the HCF, a cost benefit analysis done in Hawaii and in other states demonstrated that effective abuse and neglect prevention programs that strengthen families are less costly than treating children who have been abused or neglected.

In the ten years since its inception, the children's trust fund has ameliorated poor conditions for Hawaii's most vulnerable population by identifying and funding those programs that have had effective outcomes. Since 1993, the trust fund has funded thirty-six prevention programs, providing family strengthening, parenting skills training, and respite services to families statewide. In addition, the trust fund has sponsored four public awareness campaigns to educate the public about preventing child abuse and neglect in Hawaii.

Now, as the children's trust fund enters its tenth year, it is fitting that the legislature show its commitment to the children of Hawaii. Appropriating funds for the children's trust fund endowment fund would ensure that a more complete safety net is put in place to protect Hawaii's children and families from child abuse and neglect.

The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds from the state general fund for the Hawaii children's trust fund endowment fund.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $125,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2003-2004, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2004-2005, for the Hawaii children's trust fund endowment fund.

SECTION 3. The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2003.

INTRODUCED BY:

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