FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES OF WEST HAWAII
Program Descriptions
North Hawaii Child Development Program is a family support program for families of infants and toddlers with developmental delays who live in the North Hawaii area including the communities of Waikoloa, Waimea, Kohala and Honoka’a.
West Hawaii Early Head Start Program provides a holistic approach to parent support and early childhood health and education for income-eligible families with birth to 3 year olds from Ka’u to Kohala, Waimea and Honoka’a.
West Hawaii Early Head Start Brochure.pdf
Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) provides home visitation and socialization groups with emphasis on teaching and modeling how to be your child’s first teacher through the use of the thirty-week HIPPY curriculum for 3, 4, and 5 year olds in the Kealakehe, Kahakai and Ka’u School districts.
Click here for the Hawaii Parental Information and Resource Center web site.
Parent Centers located on the Kelakehe Intermediate and High School campuses emphasize parental involvement in school and their child’s education. They also provide information, referral and support services to parents. http://waveriders.k12.hi.us/Community/ParentCommunityCenter.htm
Language Arts Multicultural Program is offered to students in the second and third grades at Kealakehe Elementary School who are having difficulties due to language or cultural barriers. Involves an after-school program and encourages parental involvement in their child’s learning and school environment.
A Family Of Readers is a Reading Is Fundamental Program that involves parents in early literacy activities with their young children. Families are encouraged to read to and with their children and children are provided free books of their own choosing as well as access to the Family of Readers Lending Libraries through the FSSWH Family Centers and home visiting programs.
Early Identification program is deigned to meet and interview all parents after delivery of their new baby at home or in the North Hawaii and Kona Community Hospitals. Parents are offered various community resources to strengthen their families and if eligible can become a part of the home visitation programs available.
Universal Home Visitation Program is aimed at providing first time parents and parents new to the community with extra support, resources and a link to community services through a home or phone visit 6-8 weeks after the birth of their child.
Healthy Start Program is for eligible families aimed at preventing child abuse and neglect as well as monitoring and supporting special needs children during the first 3 years of life. This home visitation program provides education for parents that strengthen the parent-child interaction, screening of children during developmental milestones, parent support groups as well as parenting skills development and overall family strengthening. Services are offered throughout West Hawaii from Ka’u to Honoka’a.
Na Kahumoku - Keepers of the Island - In collaboration with the Department of Education, in the form of Kealakehe Intermediate School, are committed to finding ways of enriching the lives of youth ecologically. Na Kahumoku is a youth leadership movement which raises environmental awareness within itself and in the community. To learn more about Na Kahumoku, please go here.
Parent Education Project, “Kako’o Na Makua” is a project that supports existing parenting resources in West Hawaii and provides parenting classes a monthly calendar, website, and parent resource centers in Kohala, Ka’u and Kealakehe. http://www.fsswh.org/parented
Youth Service Centers provide preventive activities after-school and in the summer that will be positive and engaging. Includes cultural awareness, educational, and recreational activities targeting youth ages 5 to 17 from Ka’u through Kona and Waimea.
Homeless Youth Program targets homeless youth in Kona ages 16 to 22, assists with resources, and provides case management services to access services needed to move from the homeless status.
Family Centers are drop in resource centers in Ka’u and Kohala providing residents of all generations direct support or information and referral to appropriate services.
Persons In Need Funds are special funds providing concrete assistance, administered by FSSWH, to those meeting strict eligibility criteria geared toward crisis intervention.
Drug & Alcohol Prevention Program activities targeting 12 to 17 year olds in North Kohala and South Kona school catchments areas. A collaborative effort with local providers with an Advisory Group in each of the communities/
Healthy Hawaii Initiative is a community strengthening effort that targets tobacco usage, lack of physical exercises and proper nutrition. A community wide effort in North Kohala.
Other
West Hawaii Fatherhood Initiative.pdf
Division-Program Descriptions 7/02