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 Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 921 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide early childhood education at every native Hawaiian homestead.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Good Beginnings Alliance, Kamehameha Schools, Support Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids, and three individuals. Comments were also submitted by the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.

Your Committees find that early childhood education reduces academic achievement gaps in grades K-12. Programs like Play-and-Learn Mornings offer a way for young children, parents, grandparents, and family child care providers to meet for informal play activities, and children who attend these sessions are more ready for elementary school than children who have no early education experiences.

Your Committees also find that the native Hawaiian population is considered a young population with children ages birth to five representing over one-third of the State's population. It is estimated that only twenty-three per cent of all three- and four-year olds attend preschool, and that percentage is even lower for native Hawaiian children. Your Committees believe that providing early childhood education at every native Hawaiian homestead would help Hawaiian children prepare for successful elementary school experiences. Thus, this measure appropriates funds to provide Play-and-Learn Mornings at every native Hawaiian homestead community.

Your Committees have amended this measure by designating the Department of Human Services to be the expending agency for the appropriation.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 921, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 921, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.