HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	195
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

urging the department of education to provide more funding and explore additional options to support afternoon childcare for children with special needs.

WHEREAS, the cost of living in Hawaii continues to be among the highest in the nation; and

WHEREAS, childcare costs are an additional burden to many family budgets in Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, children with disabilities often require specialized attention in regards to childcare; and

WHEREAS, during the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic, remote working options allowed parents with young children to care for their children at home while still being able to work full-time; and

WHEREAS, currently, an increasing number of employers are requiring their employees to return to work physically as in the days before the COVID-19 pandemic, which increases the need for childcare aides and facilities equipped to properly care for children with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, many of these families have difficulty affording standard childcare, and the scarcity of childcare options for children with disabilities has further increased the price for such childcare options; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2023, that this body urges the Department of Education to provide additional funding to hire and train afternoon childcare aides so they may be properly equipped to care for children with disabilities; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education collaborate with the appropriate partners and stakeholders to seek further solutions in addressing the childcare needs of Hawaii's families; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Superintendent of the Department of Education, members of the Board of Education, the Office of the Governor, the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, and members of the Hawaii State Legislature.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Urging the Department of Education to provide more funding and explore additional options to support afternoon childcare for children with special needs