Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Human Services and Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 87 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to re-establish the family center demonstration project, which was formerly established under Act 329, Session Laws of Hawaii 1990.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Human Services, Mayor Joseph J. Fern Elementary School, Parents and Children Together, Hawaii Association for the Education of Young Children, Hawaii Community Services Council, Blueprint for Change, Molokai General Hospital, Urban Real Estate Co., Good Beginnings Alliance, Pacific Gateway Center, and eight private citizens.

Your Committees find that family centers are an invaluable asset to, and play a vital role in, communities by providing a "safety net" for families. They provide a number of valuable services to strengthen the family, address child abuse and neglect issues, domestic violence, homelessness, and provide information and referrals to other needed resources. Your Committees also find that family centers play a major role in school improvement efforts of raising academic achievement. And while these centers received minimal funding your Committees believe that they have proven their commitment to our community.

Your Committees have amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments and removing the word "demonstration". Your Committees find that Family Centers are no longer demonstration projects and have proven their effectiveness in the State for over nine years.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services and Education that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 87, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 87, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.