STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2144

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 2075
                                        




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was
referred S.B. No. 2075 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE GOOD
     BEGINNINGS ALLIANCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to make an appropriation to
continue the coordination and implementation of the Good
Beginnings Alliance initiative.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure
from the Department of Human Services, Department of Education,
Honolulu Department of Community Services, Hawaii Family Support
Center-Healthy Start, Hawaii Association for the Education of
Young Children, Prevent Child Abuse Hawaii, Healthy Mothers
Healthy Babies, Hawaii Medical Association, Good Beginnings
Alliance, Hawaii Business Roundtable, American Academy of
Pediatrics Hawaii Chapter, Easter Seals, Maui Family Support
Services, Inc., and a private individual.

     The Good Beginnings Alliance, established by Act 77, Session
Laws of Hawaii 1997, is an incorporated nonprofit entity that
works through four good beginnings county councils and an
interdepartmental council.  The Good Beginnings Alliance partners
work to implement strategies in good beginnings county plans and
in the state early childhood master plan that support progress
towards the child outcomes and key indicators and benchmarks of
those outcomes.

 
a                                                     SB2075     
                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2144
                                   Page 2



     Your Committee finds that the goals of the Good Beginnings
Alliance are of great importance to the community.  A major
reason why children fail in school is that they are not
emotionally and cognitively prepared for school, often lacking
language and social skills.  If they do not learn to read by the
third grade, they are at risk for school failure.  There is an
increasing amount of data showing that having positive and
stimulating early childhood experiences, particularly for
children at risk, enhances children's performance capacity,
school readiness, and later success in life, and reduces the risk
for poor outcomes such as involvement in the criminal justice
system.  Quality child care can help.

     In order to continue the development and coordination of
quality early childhood education and care services, your
Committee finds that this public-private partnership requires
public funding to match the private funding acquired to date.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of S.B. No. 2075 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and
be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Health and Human
                                   Services,



                                   ______________________________
                                   SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

 
a                                                     SB2075