Thank you so much for supporting and advocating for our keiki and families so amazingly over the 2025 Hawai'i Legislative Regular Session. Early Childhood had some significant wins this session, and while there is still much work to be done, we wanted to celebrate the wins and mahalo each and every one of you who showed up to advocate for our keiki this session.
Our big HECAA win for this session was the passing of HB 692, which will expand access to the Preschool Open Doors Program (POD). The major highlight of this bill is that, effective January 2026, two-year-olds will now be eligible. In addition, the accreditation mandate has been removed, and families may now be eligible for continuous enrollment through kindergarten entry. Sadly, the inclusion of our Family Child Care (FCC) providers was removed by the legislature. We hope to show up in big ways for our FCCs next session and hope to see you there!
On the DHS administrative rules side, our advocates successfully pushed for increasing the income eligibility for POD to 500% of the federal poverty level. This means that now our working-class ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) families will also be eligible to receive Preschool Open Doors subsidies. At the most recent Childcare Advisory Committee meeting, DHS reported that they are aiming to make the new rules active within the summer of 2025. The next round of Preschool Open Doors applications (FAQs) is expected to open on July 1, 2025. Please let your friends and family know.
Some other big wins for keiki during this session were the passing of SB 1300, which expands access to free and reduced meal prices for our DOE keiki. HB 237 appropriates funds to establish and support a peer-to-peer support program for families with children ages birth. HB 392 allows the School Facilities Authority to work with public and private entities to develop prekindergarten, preschool, child care, and early learning program facilities. HB 300 relating to the budget appropriates funds to the Executive Office of Early Learning, as well as the School Facilities Authority, to continue expanding access to early learning throughout the state. Mahalo to our partners and advocates for coming together so brilliantly and working so hard to get these bills passed.
All of the mentioned bills have passed through the legislature and are awaiting the Governor's signature!
HB 549 relating to an early learning apprenticeship grant program made it to the very last day of session, but ultimately did not receive clearance from the Finance Committee, chaired by Rep. Yamashita. The introducer and Chair of the Higher Education Committee, Representative Andrew Takuya Garrett, has verbally expressed a willingness to support an Early Learning Apprenticeship bill in the 2026 session. Additionally, there is a new chair of the Finance Committee, Representative Chris Todd from District 3 (Portion of Hilo, Keaukaha, Orchidlands Estate, Ainaloa, Hawaiian Acres, Fern Acres, portions of Kurtistown and Kea‘au).
Mahalo to Senator San Buenaventura and the Committee on Health and Human Services, Representative Lisa Marten and the Committee on Human Services and Homelessness, Senator Kidani and the Committee on Education, and Senator Kim and the Committee on Higher Education, for hearing our bills and keeping them alive through the 2025 legislative session. Unless things change, these will continue to be the chairs that we will work with to move our early childhood bills. If you are obliged, reach out to them and/ or their committee members throughout the year and let them know that you care about early learning.
In closing, we again send you our deepest gratitude and appreciation. It was a crazy session, but our advocates really pulled through! You all are so amazing and inspiring. There have been so many times throughout the session that I have just been awed by the ways Hawai'i's advocates have shown up for our children. Thank you so much for everything you've done and continue to do for our keiki and families. It has been an honor and a pleasure.
Best wishes and a heartfelt mahalo,
Your HECAA team