Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services and Housing, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 189 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to support Malama o Kamali′i Makamae in its efforts to develop state of the art care home facilities for needy children of Hawaiian ancestry.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from Malama o Kamali′i Makamae.

Your Committee finds that there are a disturbing number of children in Hawaii who need a safe environment to stay for the long-term while their parents, relatives, or guardians learn how to take care of their own lives. The State's child protective services and foster care system is inundated with these children but lacks sufficient resources to accommodate the caseload. Malama o Kamali′i Makamae has been organized to assist children of Hawaiian ancestry who are thirteen years of age or younger by developing and operating state of the art home care facilities for these children, some of whom are in imminent danger of their physical, emotional, social, and educational well-being. Your Committee believes that this measure will help ensure that these at-risk children are nurtured and cared for and not lost in the system or left behind.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services and Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 189 and recommends its adoption.