Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Human Services and Health, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 45 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to extend, for one more year, the Statewide Interagency Task Force to develop a plan for coordination and expansion of services provided through Healthy Start to young children and their families.

Testimony in favor of the measure was submitted by the Department of Human Services, Department of Health, Blueprint for Change, Parents and Children Together, and the Hawaii Family Support Institute.

Your Committees find that an interagency task force was established by the 2003 Legislature to analyze the critical issues involved in increased coordination among key service agencies and potential expansion of services provided to young children at risk and their families. As the suggested objectives, reported by the task force, will span a four-year period, the task force extension for one year is needed to realize an action plan for these objectives. It is the intent of this measure to continue to encourage the Department of Human Services' and the Department of Health's collaboration with other members of the task force to implement the overall goal of reducing maltreatment and developing the most effective system of care for our youngest children.

Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure to require the task force be co-chaired by the Director of Human Services and Director of Health.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 45, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 45, S.D. 1.