As a parent of two sons who recently graduated from King Kekaulike High School, I have focused on supporting working families for the past two decades, in both my paid and volunteer work.  Of particular concern to me has been supporting parents’ ability to provide for their children financially, while also having the time and resources to nurture and educate those children.

 

Integral to those goals has been an understanding that we must leave a legacy for the next generation – when it comes to community, and cultural and natural resources – while also providing our kids with the education, values, and tools to meet the challenges of a very difficult-to-predict future.

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Background:

 

My primary profession over the last twenty years has been to work as an independent grant writer for a broad spectrum of social service agencies in Maui County, from Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) to comprehensive substance abuse and educational programs. As a result, I have a deep understanding of the health, education, and social service needs of our residents, and how those needs intersect with the objectives of the State of Hawaii, as well as how they impact the economic potential of our communities.

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I also owned and operated Maui Child Toys and Books for five years, which was located in Makawao Town, surrounded by the schools in the King Kekaulike complex as well as Kamehameha School’s Maui campus.  Understanding that book ownership is a key predictor of academic success, I offered a book for a penny to any child who came to the store during the month of his or her birthday. I also secured grants and donations to provide free books for every student at Makawao School one year and every student at Hāna School another year. 

 

During that time, I also helped transform a small grassroots teacher-run educational cooperative into a 501c3 nonprofit licensed preschool, elementary, and middle school, providing a much-need educational alternative in our community.

 

And in November 2014, I published Lean On and Lead, Mothering and Work in the 21st Century Economy about the economic impacts of the intersection of work and parenting.  The interactive ibook includes stories from parents throughout the world as well as interviews with Hawaii’s Lieutenant Governor Shan Tstsui, then Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa, US Senator Brian Schatz, State Senator Jill Tokuda, and State Representative Beth Fukumoto. As a result of this work, I was invited to attend the White House Summit on Working Families in Washington, DC in 2014. I have since had the opportunity to have discussions about paid family leave and other family-friendly legislation with US Secretary of Labor Tom Perez via video link and in person.  Last August, I helped organize a roundtable on Paid Leave with Sec. Perez at the state legislature in Honolulu, which was attended by Hawaii's legislators, social service advocates, and the business community.

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