STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1420

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  H.B. No. 260
                                        H.D. 2
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B.
No. 260, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled: 

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to improve the affordability,
accessibility, and quality of early childhood services and
provide coordination to the early childhood system.

     Specifically, this bill creates a child care facilities
revolving loan fund to provide start-up or expansion capital to
family child care homes and centers that are licensed or are
seeking a license.  The bill also makes appropriations in
unspecified amounts for:

     (1)  Child subsidies to each county;

     (2)  Accreditation-mentor project for early childhood
          programs;

     (3)  The Good Beginnings Alliance;

     (4)  Expansion of families for REAL to specified schools;

     (5)  Keiki/family interactive mobile units;

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1420
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     (6)  Child care for parenting teens; and

     (7)  Financial assistance to individuals to attain a child
          development associate credential.

     Your Committee is committed to preventing child abuse before
it occurs and to improving the quality of life for children and
families who may be at-risk.  Your Committee finds that many
important services for child abuse and child development are
provided by private nonprofit entities.  If they did not provide
the services, the State would have to do so.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your
Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No.
260, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

                                 Respectfully submitted on behalf
                                 of the members of the Committee
                                 on Ways and Means,



                                 ________________________________
                                 CAROL FUKUNAGA, Co-Chair



                                 ________________________________
                                 ANDREW LEVIN, Co-Chair

 
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