Key Systems-Change Efforts

Understanding our Efforts in Context

The Early Childhood Action Strategy (ECAS) network is helping to build momentum for positive change in the systems that support young children and their families in Hawai‘i.

Since its creation in 2012, Early Childhood Action Strategy has maintained a focus on strengthening key dimensions of child wellbeing including health, early childhood development, family safety and security, access to quality early learning opportunities, and school readiness and academic achievement. Over that same period of time, ECAS has operated in a landscape characterized by swings in levels of available resources and public and political support, and affected by national and global events, including a national recession and a global pandemic.

Trends in child wellbeing in Hawai‘i since 2012 paint a mixed picture.

On the positive side, we see rising rates of breastfeeding, declining rates of teen parenting, and reduced rates of child abuse and neglect, and a strong statewide commitment to expanding the number of publicly supported preschool seats. At the same time, fewer prospective mothers are receiving early prenatal care, the share of children receiving developmental screenings has stalled, the number of vacancies in the early childhood workforce has increased, and kindergarten entry scores show little change between 2023 and 2024.

Responding to these trends, the ECAS network continues to identify, implement, and assess strategies and possible solutions to strengthen the wellbeing of young keiki and their ‘ohana in Hawai‘i.