Many Hawaiʻi parents expected January to mark the start of lower preschool costs and more affordable early learning options for their children.

Act 203, which went into effect Jan. 1, made 2-year-olds eligible for subsidies to help thousands of families cover preschool tuition. Previously, only 3- to 5-year-olds qualified for the state subsidies, run under the program Preschool Open Doors. 

But in December, the Department of Human Services instructed families of 2-year-olds to hold off applying for the subsidies. The department hasn’t amended the administrative rules needed to implement the new eligibility requirements, so it won’t be able to distribute subsidies to 2-year-olds until later this year. 

“Please check back in early 2026 for updates on applying for 2-year-olds and for the 2026-2027 application timeline,” the department said in flyers distributed to families and preschool providers.

While the department hadn’t officially opened the application for 2-year-olds leading up to 2026, some providers had been urging families to consider state tuition assistance in anticipation of the Jan. 1 change.

Now parents will need to wait until next school year to get state assistance for 2-year-olds’ preschool tuition. The department plans to adopt new administrative rules this spring and open applications for 2-year-olds in April, DHS administrator Scott Morishige said in an emailed statement. 

The subsidies are part of the state’s ambitious plan to expand access to early education and provide preschool to all 3- and 4-year-olds by 2032. As of October, roughly 5,890 children were still in need of preschool programs. 

While many hoped the state could start providing tuition assistance to 2-year-olds in early 2026, DHS’ delay is understandable given the influx of federal policy changes and new reporting requirements the department has faced in recent months, said Malia Tsuchiya, early childhood policy and advocacy coordinator at Hawaiʻi Children’s Action Network.

“It’s not for any lack of want or desire,” she said.

State Has Struggled To Spend Preschool Funds

Currently, the program serves 3- to 5-year-olds whose families make up to 500% of the federal poverty level, meaning that a family of four earning roughly $184,900 could qualify for tuition subsidies. Families who qualify for the program would have a maximum copayment of $45 a month, according to DHS.

But despite the state’s growing investment in preschool access, DHS has struggled to spend all of the money lawmakers have set aside to help parents pay for preschool tuition. Last year, the state spent less than half of its $50 million budget for tuition subsidies.

This year, DHS plans on spending roughly $42 million by the end of June, Morishige said.

“We’re giving back money under Preschool Open Doors,” Sen. Troy Hashimoto said in a legislative hearing last year. “And nobody’s concerned about that, I think.”

Even if families qualify for tuition assistance, it’s difficult for parents to find open preschool seats, said Kerrie Urosevich, executive director of Early Childhood Action Strategy. The state has faced a long-time shortage of preschool spots, partially due to a lack of qualified educators. 

“If a family doesn’t have child care available in their community or near their work, depending on where they prefer, they’re not going to access it,” she said.

Tsuchiya said she’s hopeful DHS will be more successful in spending its subsidy money as more families apply for tuition payments. Last summer, the department updated its administrative rules to cover more working families and provide more support to parents facing homelessness or domestic violence. 

The state tuition subsidy program currently serves more than 3,200 children, up from roughly 660 in summer 2024, Morishige said.

But while the expanded eligibility is drawing more applicants, families with 2-year-olds are still wondering when they’ll start qualifying for subsidies, said Paula Yanagi, director of Ka Hale O Na Keiki Preschool on the Big Island. The preschool has roughly 10 families who were counting on receiving state subsidies for their 2-year-olds in early 2026, she said, and some parents are now struggling to cover tuition on their own. 

While she appreciates the state’s ongoing efforts to expand tuition assistance, Yanagi said, the uncertainty around subsidies also makes it harder for providers to plan for the future and project where their revenue will come from. 

Even families who currently qualify for the program face long wait times to have their applications processed and approved, Yanagi said. In some cases, she said, families have kept their children home from school since they can’t afford the full tuition on their own. 

“I think everyone’s hopes were high,” Yanagi said. “They were like, ‘How much longer? I don’t know how much we can continue to pay.’”  

Civil Beat’s education reporting is supported by a grant from Chamberlin Family Philanthropy.