A report showing how �鶹��ý could improve pay and conditions for early childhood educators was released on October 25 after conducting a survey of local educators and stakeholders.

The report looked at compensation, working conditions, professional growth incentives and more. The (ECE³ Project) based at the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa (COE) commissioned the to conduct the fact finding.

“As we redesign the early educator preparation programs through higher education, we also need to close the compensation gaps to recruit and retain more highly qualified early educators,” said Theresa Lock, an early childhood instructor who directs the ECE³ Project. “The RAND report is the first step to achieving our vision of building a well-prepared, well-supported, and well-compensated early care and education workforce for our children, birth through age eight, and families in �鶹��ý.”

The RAND research team conducted interviews with a dozen �鶹��ý and national experts in the field of early childhood education. There were nine focus groups with a combination of 50 center and home-based providers and college students. The survey was distributed to Department of Human Services licensed center directors and regulated family child care (FCC providers in �鶹��ý and yielded responses from 99 directors and 48 FCC providers representing 143 center-based sites.

Participants shared their views on being paid low wages. For example, wages and salaries were not competitive with jobs requiring similar levels of education or experience with a $10-15/hour disparity. In addition, benefit packages varied across settings, and there were challenges in providing supportive working conditions, problems with recruitment and retention, and limited incentives or support for continued education and professional development.

Survey takeaways

“It is very tough to keep good teachers with so many other jobs offering great pay and little stress,” said a center director.

“Most of us here on the islands, it’s usually a one-man operation,” noted a FCC provider.

“There is no designated space, so I just kind of do [planning] in the classroom when the kids are asleep,” said a center teacher.

“Retaining and finding staff is unbelievably difficult. This is due to low wages. People make more money working [in fast food] than in early childhood education. This is a disservice to staff who work hard daily and a disservice to children,” said a center director.

Roadmap for change

Based on their findings, the RAND research team developed a three-pillar roadmap with financing options and the following policy options:

1. Stabilize the ECE workforce through wage supplements, initiatives to address benefits and working conditions, piloted salary scale, and expanded apprenticeships.
2. Strengthen and sustain through salary scale, compensation parity, and scaled up initiatives to address benefits and working conditions.
3. Support workforce policies through facilities investments, workforce registry, capacity for benchmarking compensation, key workforce indicators, and other data systems.

Next steps

With the completion of the RAND report, the ECE³ Project is convening a Compensation Implementation Plan Task Force, composed of representatives from various agencies, such as �鶹��ý Careers for Young Children, �鶹��ý Early Childhood Advocacy Alliance, �鶹��ý Community Foundation, Department of Human Services, Executive Office on Early Learning, and the Early Learning Board. The purpose of the task force is to customize the roadmap to �鶹��ý by utilizing lessons learned from other states and piloting initiatives at a smaller-scale that would eventually be expanded statewide.

“We need everybody at the table—local, state and federal policymakers, early educators, business and community leaders, and families—backing these kinds of support so that essential early educators feel valued and can provide the critical service of educating our youngest learners,” said COE Dean Nathan Murata.

About 50 keiki under the age of 5 received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at a clinic hosted by the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa Children’s Center (UHMCC) and on June 24. The event was held one week after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) gave emergency use authorization for children ages 6 months through 5 years to receive the vaccine to help prevent the spread of the virus.

The clinic was held on the grounds of the UH Mānoa College of Education’s Castle Memorial Hall and was open to anyone eligible to receive a shot between the ages of 6 months to 90 years of age. A total of 100 shots of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine were given during the clinic.

“Like all high-quality group child care facilities, UHMCC has been partnering with enrolled families to control the spread of infectious diseases,” said Jeffrey Bock, UHMCC education coordinator and acting director. “The COVID pandemic has continued to be a long and difficult battle, and the final emergency approval by the CDC for children 6 months to 5 years of age has been a long awaited blessing.”

UHMCC enrolls children ages 2 to 5 years, and has provided child care to parenting students of UH Mānoa and its faculty and staff since 1987. As more vaccines are administered to the 5 and under age group, the center plans to adjust their response to COVID-19 exposure.

“Now, instead of closing a classroom, which limits access to affordable child care, we are able to continue to offer child care to those unexposed and who have some level of immunity,” Bock added.

According to local child care experts with the Early Childhood Action Strategy, the pandemic has highlighted the important role child care plays in enabling parents to work and the instability of child care businesses. In 2019, an estimated 64,066 children ages 0-5 were in need of child care with only 20,157 spots available for children at licensed/registered child care providers in 2021. Additionally, more than 3,600 child care spaces have been lost due to pandemic-related challenges. Support to sustain the state’s child care sector to improve children and families’ access to high-quality services is essential.

Bock noted that the vaccines will help open child-care seats, but, “it will be a long struggle to get back to where we were, let alone where we should be.”

A second vaccination clinic is scheduled for July 22. For more information on how to pre-register, email uhmcc@hawaii.edu.

Jenalyn Ng, a graduate student in the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa , was crowned the 72nd on April 3. Ng, who is also a preschool teacher and education specialist at the UH Mānoa Children’s Center, earned her BEd in early childhood education and is currently working on an MEd in curriculum studies with a focus on preschool through third grade.

Ng was among five contestants who competed in four phases, which included judges’ interview, talent, Chinese evening gown and speech.

“Congrats to Jen! I’m so proud that she is using her platform as the Narcissus Queen to share the importance of meaningful early learning experiences,” said associate professor Leah Muccio. “She is a wonderful mentor teacher to the undergraduate initial licensure teacher candidates because she’s been in their shoes and shows them what is possible when children learn and grow through play. She models how to value the voice and imagination of a child.”

Applying teaching methods

Of her experiences at the College of Education, Ng said that studying teaching methods and learning styles, then getting the opportunity to apply them at field placements and the Children’s Center gave her a better understanding of the content she was being taught.

“The COE has helped me develop my own teaching style and beliefs,” said Ng. “My undergraduate cohort coordinator, Leah Muccio, was also amazing. She continues to support me as my supervisor in my master’s program. She is constantly helping me blend my passion for helping other people and animals into not only my teaching, but my master’s work.”

I hope to use my title to continue to help and give back to organizations and causes in our community while promoting education
—Jenalyn Ng

Passionate about Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences, Ng said that she grew up struggling in school. It was her older brother who taught her basic geometry and angles using dance practices, which worked for her since she was a dancer for 13 years.

“As a teacher, I see how important it is to not only figure out what your students are interested in, but also how they learn best while promoting good self-esteem,” concluded Ng. “I am also passionate about animals. I grew up with a mini zoo at my house and continue to have a lot of animals to this day. I often use animals to help teach young children to learn about empathy and how to care for something or someone other than themselves.”

Ambassador of community and state

Ng’s responsibilities as Narcissus Queen include representing the local Chinese community through the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, as well as serving as an ambassador of aloha. She and her court will also participate in a “Goodwill Tour” in mainland China as representatives of �鶹��ý’s Chinese community.

“I hope to use my title to continue to help and give back to organizations and causes in our community while promoting education,” concluded Ng.

This is an example of UH Mānoa’s goal of (PDF), one of four goals identified in the (PDF), updated in December 2020.

After months of greeting their teachers and classmates through online platforms, the keiki of the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa Children’s Center (UHMCC) are carefully being welcomed back into the classroom.

Prior to reopening, UHMCC developed a staggered opening plan to better control processes and procedures. On June 15, UHMCC opened its doors to three ʻohana groups, or smaller classes, to create a more stable and self-contained environment with assigned indoor and outdoor spaces with 22 children, 11 staff members and five student helpers. Then, on June 22, the children’s center added 23 more children, six more employees and three student helpers.

As of July 6, 72 children were enrolled in six ʻohana groups—five on the UH campus, one at Kuhio Elementary School—with 23 UH employees and 13 student workers helping in the classrooms.

“When we closed March 23, we thought it would be just for a short while,” said UHMCC Director Leilani Au. “Three months later, we are delighted to be back at work with the children and families. We do have non-stop, on-going worry about keeping children and staff safe, but are mostly happy to be here doing what we do best! The families are grateful to have childcare again, both so they can work more effectively and also because the children missed their friends and teachers and at this age social interactions matter for their healthy development.”

To ensure a safe classroom environment for the children, faculty and staff, UHMCC reduced its enrollment to nearly half of the students it accepted in spring 2020. UHMCC has also designated a single-entry point into the campus where keiki are greeted by staff wearing face coverings to give initial health screenings before they can enter the classrooms. Parents and visitors are currently not allowed inside the classroom or playground spaces.

Children and staff remain separated from other groups and are kept smaller than usual to encourage social distancing while still providing essential social interactions for the keiki. The children have most of their fun outdoors on the playground or running through sprinklers to beat the summer heat. If they take walks on UH or DOE property outside of the UHMCC program, all children will wear face coverings.

“We clean more and do more handwashing, in addition to the morning and midday health checks, making it possible for children to be in a safer ʻohana bubble,” Au said. “There’s still lots of play, hugs and laughs!”

For more details on the reopening, visit the UHMCC website.

—By Janica Marie Pascua

In one online class, toddlers and preschoolers are swinging their arms, legs and more “in and out” to the Hokey Pokey. In another, they are proudly holding up appropriately colored stuffed animals and other objects they’ve collected in advance, as the teacher reads Brown Bear, the beloved Eric Carle book.

These are the children and families from children’s centers on three University of �鶹��ý Community College campuses, which closed due to the COVID-19 crisis. The centers’ faculty and staff, including 12 (ECE) students from who were working on their practicum in these “laboratory” settings, are keeping keiki and their families engaged during the spring semester.

“For the advanced lab and practicum courses, which normally involve college students working with children in the classroom, the faculty faced a big challenge as children’s centers closed,” said Caroline Soga, ECE program coordinator. “The faculty thought carefully about how to engage the students in planning virtual and hands-on learning experiences for the children, taking into consideration all the areas of the children’s learning and developmental needs.”

Good advice

The centers, Keiki Hau‘oli Children’s Center (Honolulu CC), Alani Children’s Center () and The Children’s Center (), are also providing parents with advice, support and resources. In March, the ECE program shared these thoughts in an email to parents:

1. Don’t try to be a perfect parent right now. It’s okay to not have the day entirely planned with educational activities and enriching time. Give yourself permission to know that some days dinner may end up being cereal and the kids will watch six consecutive hours of Paw Patrol so that you can get work done or get your sanity together—and that is okay. We are all just doing our best.
2. Young children will likely come out of this time with the memory of how the emotional environment of their home felt for them, not what they did. This means that a priority for families is self-care. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and anxious (and who isn’t), having your own toolkit of what supports you feeling better is crucial for getting to a place where you can support your children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a wonderful page on .
3. The best thing for young children is to just let them play! Uninterrupted free play IS learning. This is a great time for children to discover all of the things they are able to do without adult support—building problem solving skills, curiosity and imagination. Boredom builds brains!

Helpful links

The program shared some useful links for parents:

• How children (PDF)
• What to do about during this time of social distancing
• What to do about during this time

Soga said ECE faculty have been holding regular circle times online with classrooms, recording story libraries for parents to access, and having lab students take roles in leading online small groups. Other initiatives the ECE department is undertaking include Zoom ECE advising sessions, the creation of online portfolios showcasing children’s development, and a collaboration with the emergency medical technician program at Kapiʻolani CC to create educational content for first responders worried about their children’s well being during this time.

—By Kelli Trifonovitch

Honolulu Community College’s was recently reaccredited for five years by the (NAEYC).

Nationally only 8 percent of all programs in the nation meet the rigorous standards set forth by NAEYC. Hauʻoli is proud to be counted as 1 of only 7,000 programs to receive this honor.

“It takes a lot of commitment to remain accredited. Staff, families, ECE (Early Childhood Education) faculty and students, advisory board members, Honolulu CC administration, and many Honolulu CC faculty and staff, worked diligently over the past five years to help the Center maintain a high level of excellence,” shared Janina Martin, Keiki Hauʻoli Children’s Center site coordinator.

With an eye toward continuous quality improvement and multiple measures of self-evaluation, Keiki Hauʻoli is looking forward to serving the families of the Honolulu CC campus for many years to come.

—By Billie Lueder

A long-awaited dream is moving closer to reality with the groundbreaking of Windward Community College’s new Hānaiaulu Childcare Center on March 7.

The project, which Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Ardis Eschenberg says is a “vehicle to increase education for Koʻolaupoko and Koʻolauloa for generations to come,” is expected to be completed by the end of 2018. The Hawaiian immersion childcare center is anticipated to serve up to six infants and eight toddlers, and is exclusive to Windward CC students.

“If a mother earns her degree, her children are all more likely to earn their degrees, which in turn means that the next generation is more likely, and on and on. Maternal education is the largest predictor of higher education attainment for an individual,” said Eschenberg. “This project will address a gap both in the Windward community, where infant and toddler care facilities are scarce, and at Windward Community College—the only community college in �鶹��ý lacking a childcare center.”

“So many people have worked together to make this childcare center project become a reality,” said Windward CC Chancellor Doug Dykstra. “We are so fortunate to have received this funding, as Windward CC students desperately need a childcare center.”

Get involved

Attend the Hānaiaulu Lūʻau: A Benefit for Hānaiaulu Childcare Center on May 6, 5–10 p.m. at the Windward CC’s Hale Aʻo.

To help offset expenses for interior furnishings, books, supplies and special needs equipment for infants and toddlers, the college is hosting a benefit lūʻau with Hawaiian food, entertainment and a special silent auction (bidding closes at 7:30 p.m.).

Tickets are $55 and can be purchased at . RSVP by April 30. For questions, call Dorene Niibu at (808) 235-7402.

More about the Hānaiaulu Childcare Center

Designed by KYA Design Group, construction will include the renovation and modification of portions of the existing Hale ʻĀkoakoa building encompassing space currently occupied by two existing conference rooms comprising 1,062 square feet; and adjacent outdoor space of 2,218 square feet at the southwestern end of the building. The Hānaiaulu Childcare Center will include a childcare main area (1,450 square-feet), welcome area/lānai extension (530 square-feet), lānai area (330 square-feet) and an outdoor play area (970 square-feet).

The UH Community Colleges Office of Facilities and Environmental Health was instrumental in putting this project together under the leadership of Director Denise Yoshimori-Yamamoto and Architect/Project Manager Ray Teramae. General Contractor S&M Sakamoto, Inc. will build the facility.

The U.S. Department of Education Title III Grant Project award totaling $9.9 million over five years will be used in part to build the childcare center and renovate STEM learning environments at Windward. The grant was written as a result of the diligent efforts in needs assessment and planning by the Windward CC Student Parent Group and Natural Sciences department, coordinated by Eschenberg, Kumu Tuti Kanahele and Ke Kumu Pali, Windward CC’s Native Hawaiian Advisory Council.

Those responsible for the planning of childcare center efforts include Student Parent Group members Michelle Kam, Francine Vierra, Crystal Kamahalohanuilai, Sheila Sarsuela, Natajah Kekawa-Maynes, Joel Harding, Tanti Septiani, Lehua You, Nolan Brown, Tevi Tolentino, Kekai Edayan and Kehaulani Pelekai.

—By Bonnie Beatson

The Honolulu Community College in partnership with the will host a Pau Hana on the Lawn on Friday, May 6, 2:30–4 p.m.

Family and friends will enjoy a casual potluck picnic on the lawn fronting the Honolulu Community College children’s center. Performing will be children center families and friends, MELE students and Nā Hōkū Hanohano and Grammy Award winner . Cruz will perform a special set consisting of his own hits along with a surprise or two for the keiki. Students of the MELE Program will provide music and production support.

The focal point of this musical event will be the Mana Mele Solar Powered Mobile Studio that will provide an on-site look at the work the studio does all over the island with young people interested in music and video production.

During the spring semester, three MELE students spent the entire semester working with Mana Maoli and their Mana Mele initiative. As part of the initial launch for Meleana, �鶹��ý’s first solar powered mobile recording studio, students worked in various areas of marketing, promotion, event planning, production and service to the community.

MELE and Mana Maoli are honored to serve �鶹��ý’s community at large with the Mana Mele Project. This unique partnership provides the MELE Program with a new audience—�鶹��ý’s children in grades K–12.

—By Billie Lueder

The public is invited to a silent auction on Wednesday, April 6, 2016, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at Mānoa Gardens. The center is raising funds to purchase permanent shade structures for three of its sites, including the Big House as well as satellite classrooms at Kuhiō and Noelani elementary schools.

In 2015, the great Chinese Banyan at the Big House was cut down due to safety concerns. Known at the center as the “Story Tree,” it had been planted in 1942, shaded the playground and was often the site of story times. The playgrounds at the center’s other two sites were never so fortunate to have such a tree. To keep the children cool, the UH Mānoa Children’s Center is now seeking shade for all three sites.

Silent auction items include jewelry, signed UH Warriors footballs, art, family-fun opportunities such as movie tickets and passes, restaurant gift certificates and special baskets made by each of the center’s classes.

Door prizes and light pupus will be available. There will also be entertainment by Vance Drive as well as Uncle Wayne and the Howling Dog Band. There is a suggested donation of $5 at the door.

If unable to attend, donations may also be made online.

1. 1. Go to the UH Foundation website, click on
2. 2. In the “Select program” drop-down, click on UHM Student Affairs.
3. 3. Then, in the “Select account” drop-down, click on UHM Children’s Center.

For more information, call (808) 956-7963 or contact the UH Mānoa Children’s Center via email.

The University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa Children’s Center opened expansion classrooms at Noelani, Kūhiō and Ala Wai elementary schools, which will accommodate an additional 45 more children of UH Mānoa faculty and staff members. The center will share space with the school’s special education preschool classes.

Each classroom has a combined enrollment of approximately 15 youngsters from the Children’s Center and 5 children from the Department of Education preschool program. Teachers from the Children’s Center and the Department of Education will work together on curriculum that will meet the needs of the combined students.

“The most important part of this “win-win” partnership between UH Mānoa and the DOE is that two high-quality programs create an enriching community-based program for all children, no matter what level of ability they are,” said Director Terry Lock of the �鶹��ý Office of Early Learning. “I love the fact that typically developing peers will be learning alongside peers with developmental delays and disabilities. This is a model I’d like to see replicated throughout our state.“

At the dedication ceremony, former UH Mānoa Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw, who authorized funding for the Children’s Center expansion, was presented with an “endowed chair,” a wooden children’s chair with a commemorative plaque­­.

“Dr. Hinshaw’s forward-thinking decision will have a positive effect on the recruitment, retention and peace of mind of faculty, staff and student families with young children at UH Mānoa for many years to come,” said Children’s Center Director Wayne Watkins.

Adapted from a .