Our Mission | What We Believe | What We Do | Who We Are |
Our Vision for the Future | Where We Are

Click here for our various program descriptions

The Mission of Family Support Services of West Hawaii is:

To support families and communities in providing love and care for our children.

As are all mission statements, this one is carefully chosen. It embodies two key elements: support for families and support for communities. The first guides us in the direct work of supporting families, which we do through counseling, home visiting, school based and parent education and support programs. The second is to assist communities to develop the capacity to provide a supportive environment for families. These are our community development projects, collaboration building and advocacy work for a better quality of life for families here in Hawaii.

Back to top

Family Support Services has a strong belief that we must share common values in order to effectively achieve our goals of reaching our outcomes. It is these values that drive the work we do with families, children and youth. It is these values we also hope to awaken in the hearts of the families we work with and the youth we guide. We believe that:

  Families want to provide a safe and nurturing environment for their children;

  From time to time all families need support, guidance, education and assistance;

  Requesting help is a sign of strength; and

  The needs of families are best addressed within the full context of their family, culture, community, and the economic and social world in which they live.

Back to top

There is an old saying that “ children don’t come with instructions.” but then neither does being an adolescent or making the transition from childhood to being on our own as an adult. Family Support Services hopes to provide help, support and guidance along the way.

Parent Education Services
http://www.fsswh.org/parented.htm

Sometimes being a parent is not easy. There is a lot to learn about a new baby and our children at every point along the way. To be a more effective parent, you can get support from our Early childhood development and Parent Education Programs. These programs are available to parents of children with special needs as well as all families with children from birth to age eighteen. Classes available for families with young children as well as adolescents. Information is available to help you understand:

  Your child’s unique temperament

  The developmental stages of children

  Effective parenting tips

  Guidance and discipline

  Age appropriate toys and activities

  Balancing your needs and your children’s needs

  Effective communication skills

Referrals and Resource Linking

Our staff are available at our community-based walk in locations to assist you by carefully listening to your needs and helping you to find the right resources for you and your child. Staff can also help access community goods and services such as:

Speech, hearing and language

  Mental health

  Substance abuse

  Employment and household financial management

  Positive activities for children and youth

  Access to donated goods

Home Visiting

Family Support Services offers home visiting to families with children from birth to age five. Home visitors partner with families to:

  Provide a safe and nurturing home for their children

  Understand the growth and development of their children

  Reduce the stress in their lives

  Enhance communications among family members

  Become their children’s first teacher

Family Counseling

Family Support Services offers individual, family and group counseling to parents on a referral basis. Our counseling programs focus on resolving issues which are preventing effective parenting such as:

  Unresolved childhood hurts

  Substance abuse

  Domestic violence

  Poverty and severe economic stress

Youth Development

Family Support Services reaches out to youth of our community and their parents through the provisions of:

  Activities which provide opportunities to

  Build life skills

  Enhance cultural identity

  Develop leadership qualities

  Increase physical and spiritual strength

  Enhance economic performance

  Counseling and guidance

  Assistance with a safe transition to adulthood

  Development entrepreneurial skills

  Mentoring and tutoring

Back to top

Family Support Services of West Hawaii was founded in 1979 by members of the West Hawaii community who were concerned with the prevention of child abuse and neglect. Services were offered to families under the auspices of Kapi’lani Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Honolulu until 1985, when we incorporated and became an independent, private, non-profit organization.

Family Support Services is now one of the largest non-profit agencies in West Hawaii serving over 300 families with home visiting from Ka’u to Kohala, 250 youth, and thousands of individuals seeking information and referral.

There are 60 plus community based staff, 16 members on the Board of Directors, Community Advisory Councils in North Kohala and K’a’u and over 100 volunteers on various committees and in our programs.

Being community based is a fundamental principle for Family Support Services. To us, that means many things; that our staff work in the communities in which they live, that we have a council of advisors who live in each district who help staff set program priorities for their area, and that our programs are accessible to families in their home community.

Back to top

The board and staff at Family Support Services envision a future where

  All families will provide a safe and nurturing home for their children

  All families will ensure that by the time their child is five years of age they will be healthy and ready for formal education,

  All children and youth will have the capacity to succeed in school and demonstrate positive social behavior, and

  All youth will transition to adulthood as capable and caring individuals.

These are the conditions that we strive to accomplish through all of our services and activities with families, youth and the children in our community.

Back to top

In Kailua-Kona, we have administrative and program staff as well as our Healthy Start Program and Child Welfare Services located at:

75-127 Lunapule Rd., suite #11
326-7778/326-4063 (fax)

Kealakehe Parent Center

Kealakehe Intermediate School
327-4665

In Waimea, our office is located in the Kamuela Business Center. You may reach us at:

885-0086 / 885-8054 (fax)

Our Kohala Family Center, is located in the Chaton Building just off the main street in Hawi. You may reach us at

889-0036

Our Ka’u Family Center is located on the main street just next to the ball field in Na’alehu.  You may reach us at:

929-9611 / 929-8066 (fax)

Back to top