HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0138.003 2008-2010
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Aloha, my name is Andrew Kahili I am the Program Director with the YWCA
Hawaii Island Healthy Start and Enhanced Healthy Start Programs.
Mr. Chairman, Vice Chair and Members of the Council, I'd like to state my
support of Resolution 55-09 Requests Governor and State Legislators to
continue funding of the Hawai'i Healthy Start Program.
For two decades now, the YWCA Healthy Start Program has been a stabilizing
force for families of Hawai'i Island reaching out to thousands of responsibilities.
Many are facing issues of domestic violence and substance abuse. Healthy Start
helps families learn parenting skills, positive relationships through bonding,
nurturing, and professional assistance. In addition, the program helps with the
necessities of life - by assisting with access to community resources, which
provide food, clothing, medical care and shelter.
On December 22, 2008, Governor Lingle stated in her news conference of her
plans to abolish the Healthy Start program beginning July 1, 2009. This would
effectively pull the safety net of care that Healthy Start currently provides for
many of most vulnerable, at risk children and families. The threat and imminent
damage to families by eliminating funds for Healthy Start will only worsen the
situation. Research tells us that during an economic crisis child abuse and
domestic violence cases will increase.
The YWCA Hawaii Island strongly disagrees with Governor Lingle's decision and
asks for your attention and support to reinstate funding for the Healthy Start
Program.
The first 3 years of life, the brain undergoes its most critical development. This is
when children acquire the ability to think, speak, learn, and reason. It is also
when they form a bond and attachment with their parents who significantly
influence their child's development and functioning. Parents are the center of a
young child's life, but many cannot do it alone. Too man y children live in
families facing economic and social stressors, including limited or no access to
health care, which place them environmentally and developmentally at risk.
In order to offer young children the best start in life, the state must ensure there
are resources to get children 0 to 3 a healthy Start in life. We encourage the
state to invest in the earliest years of children's lives through a partnership of
state, local government and the private sector.
In a recent letter from Dr. Elizabeth McFarlane and Dr. Anne Duggan of Johns
Hopkins University, it states, "the Healthy Start Program has one of the strongest
practice-research partnership in the county. Many service programs in Hawaii
and the across the nation have limited objective evidence of how services are
delivered and the results achieved" it also states "the Healthy Start Program
practice-research partnership has provided solid evidence of the program's
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accomplishments and a solid understanding of how to improve program practice
to have even greater impact for more families".
The Science of Early Childhood Development report conducted by the Center on
Developing the Child, Harvard University states, "The future of any society
depends on its ability to foster the health and well-being of the next generation.
Stated simply, today's children will become tomorrow's citizens, workers, and
parents. When we invest wisely in children and families, the next generation will
pay that back through a lifetime of productivity and responsible citizenship.
When we fail to provide children with what they need to build a strong foundation
for healthy and productive lives, we put our future prosperity and security at risk."
Today I have a document to share with you authored by Stephen Bavolek. Ph.D.
titled "Why Abolishing Hawaii Healthy Start is a Social and Familial Tsunami in
the Making: The facts on Healthy Start's Effectiveness". Dr. Bavolek is an
internationally recognized expert in the fields of child abuse and neglect
prevention and treatment, and parenting education. I encourage all of you to
review this document as it clearly describes the probable future for Hawaii's
children if Healthy Start were eliminated.
In closing, we ask that you put children first in making public policy and resource
decisions so that all of Hawaii's children will have a better chance for a bright
future in these difficult times. If we reduce services now, we know the dollar cost
will be greater in the end than the savings, but the cost in human suffering cannot
be justified or measured.
Again, we respectfully ask for your attention and support to reinstate funding for
the Healthy Start Program.
Mahalo and A Hui Hou.
Andrew Kahili, Program Director
1382 Kilauea Avenue
Hilo, HI. 96720
Phone (808)961-3877 ext. 127
Fax (808) 961-9140