Hawaii Has More Money For Preschool Subsidies Than It Has Been Able To Give Out
The state will start accepting applications year-round in an effort to increase the number of families seeking help paying for preschool.
Money set aside by the state to help families cover the cost of preschool has gone partially unused in recent years, something state leaders hope to change by offering parents more money and opportunities to apply for the program.
Through , families can apply for subsidies to reduce the cost of preschool tuition for 3- and 4-year-olds. The state expanded POD’s eligibility earlier this year, increasing both the income eligibility cap and how much families could receive from the program each month.
Previously, only 4-year-olds qualified for POD, and the maximum monthly subsidy was $900. It has since increased to $1,500 per month.
A will also allow families to apply for POD subsidies year-round, Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke said Tuesday. The Department of Human Services has previously opened POD applications for a few months at a time, but the shortened window discouraged families from applying and made it difficult for advocates to raise awareness about the program, she added.
“Parents are not really thinking about preschool until it gets really close to the school period or the enrollment period,” Luke said.
In the past, Luke said, DHS spent only half of POD’s $12 million annual budget. Now, she’s hoping the program’s expanded eligibility and longer application period will help the department spend all of its funding.
Last year, lawmakers raised POD’s annual budget to $50 million so the program could accommodate more families.
Over 1,300 children have received subsidies this year, Luke said, and DHS has spent $25 million of its POD funds. In January, Luke estimated that POD could serve roughly 2,800 children under its new eligibility requirements and expansion.
Families can continue to apply for assistance for the 2024-25 school year until late January or funds run out. DHS will then open a new round of subsidy applications for the 2025-26 school year.
Deborah Zysman, executive director of the Hawaii Children’s Action Network, said she’s hopeful the new changes to POD will make preschool affordable for more families. But, she added, Hawaii’s severe shortage of preschool providers could make it difficult for families to find an open program and use their subsidies.
Luke’s estimates that Hawaii needs more than 400 classrooms to fulfill its goal of providing universal access to preschool to all 3- and 4-year-olds by 2032.
Moving forward, Zysman said, she would like to see the state expand eligibility for POD even more. Parents also need child care for infants and toddlers, she added, and some families who don’t meet the current income requirements for POD may still struggle with the costs of early education programs.
“These are state funds, so the state makes the rules,” Zysman said.
Civil Beat鈥檚 education reporting is supported by a grant from Chamberlin Family Philanthropy.
