I’m going to do something that’s not often done around here: I’m going to praise state legislators.

Specifically, I’m praising Hawaii’s representatives and senators for passing HB 961, which allocated $39 million for the state’s Open Doors Preschool program. The funding will be used to expand pre-K opportunities for 3- and 4-year-olds.

My Civil Beat colleagues have written admirably about all the things that went wrong this session, but I wanted to take a moment to celebrate politicians actually following through on their campaign pledges to help children and their families. 

I’ve spent the last few columns exploring the other end of the educational spectrum, those finishing their schooling and what, and where, comes next for them. I advocated for increasing the opportunities for those that want to remain in Hawaii and for those of us who graduated in the 20th and early 21st century to be mindful of our expectations and the counsel we give to students who suffered from the impacts of the pandemic. 

On the other end of the pipeline are the little kids who have been deprived of the essential building blocks of socialization.

It’s one thing not to share prom or graduation with your friends, but that’s a better situation than not learning how to share or how to have friends. 

I’m very glad that the Legislature realized the importance of early childhood education and prioritized the plan to invest in Hawaii’s future. The teachers having to manage classrooms full of children born during the pandemic will have their work cut out for them.

The legislation will hopefully bolster their ranks and pay them for the extra effort it will require to educate these children.

Investing in early childhood education is one of the most efficient ways to break cycles of poverty. Researchers have demonstrated that investing in kids early on means that less government funding will be needed later for health care and criminal justice. It’s cheaper to help kids get ready for school than treat patients and prosecute and imprison criminals. 

Before moving to Hawaii, my family lived in Georgia which was the first state, in 1995, to introduce a universal pre-K program for 4-year-olds. The program was funded by a newly introduced state lottery. The initiative has become an almost 30-year-old success story. It’s now impossible for Georgians to imagine life without the program.

Unfortunately, for America’s children, those success stories have remained on the state-by-state level. The Biden administration put universal pre-K high on its priority list, but the initiative didn’t gain traction in Washington, D.C. 

That’s why we should praise our legislators for legitimately helping their constituents.

The investment in creating safe and reliable environments helps not only children but the working parents who struggle for safe and healthy places for their young children. Currently, less than half of Hawaii’s young children attend preschool programs or are with licensed caregivers. The reason, according to Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, is the cost of care. 

This was an important step to take, but there are so many more that need to be taken to raise up the level of education in Hawai’i. The challenge is to hire the teachers and prepare the schools.Hawai’i  currently only has the capacity for half of the 3- and 4-year-olds living here. The program already has a time crunch; the first 3-year-olds are supposed to start in 2024. 

I hope state legislators take this praise to heart and continue to support worthwhile efforts to give our keiki, their families and their teachers  the support they need.