Author Information
Nicole Schlaack, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, United StatesManca Sustarsic, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, United States
Aya Marie Lorraine Kouao, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, United States
Benji Whitenack, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, United States
Abstract
Early childhood education is critical for child development and family well-being, particularly for children from birth to age five. Still, it is difficult for families to find affordable early childhood education, especially for their infants and toddlers. The Preschool Development Grant Birth to Five supported innovative strategies to increase access and close the gap between available seats and demand for infant and toddler programs. This research includes several sites offering infant and toddler care across the islands of Hawaiʻi. Qualitative interviews with program directors offered insights into successful strategies and challenges when increasing the number of seats for infants and toddlers. The programs were able to sustain and provide opportunities for children to receive care, social interactions, and support from the community. Challenges encountered involved workforce shortages, licensing complexities, and addressing parental anxiety and trauma. Strategies for overcoming these included strong partnerships with local organizations and flexible staffing incentives such as sign-on bonuses and covering certification costs. The study also examined support for children with disabilities, highlighting the Individualized Family Support Plan process. The findings highlighted an opportunity to strengthen the early intervention system by making it more centralized and transparent, which could help families and providers more easily access resources. Recommendations included offering technical assistance to smaller organizations navigating grants and strengthening collaboration between early care programs and the Early Intervention Section to enhance service coordination and outreach.
Paper Information
Conference: IICAH2026Stream: Humanities - Teaching and Learning
This paper is part of the IICAH2026 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Schlaack N., Sustarsic M., Kouao A., & Whitenack B. (2026) Navigating Challenges and Enhancing Access: A Case Study of Infant and Toddler Programs in Hawaiʻi ISSN: 2432-4604 – The IAFOR International Conference on Arts & Humanities – Hawaii 2026 Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 119-130) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2432-4604.2026.10
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2432-4604.2026.10
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