Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Human Services and Health, to which was referred S.R. No. 130 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to create an advisory board and planning task force for the Healthy Start Program.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Child & Family Service, Parents and Children Together, Hawaii Family Support Institute, Hawaii Family Support Institute, Family Support Services of West Hawaii, Kokua Kalihi Valley, and Blueprint for Change.

The Healthy Start Program is Hawaii's only alternative primary intervention program to effectively protect children from abuse and neglect. It is imperative that the Department of Health and Healthy Start Program providers work collaboratively to restructure the current model to enhance program effectiveness for Hawaii's children and families, and to develop a plan to streamline federal requirements that may impede service delivery in its current form.

Your Committees have amended this measure to add the Department of Health as the facilitator of the task force.

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.R. No. 130, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 130, S.D. 1.