Child Care Services
The Department of Human Services’ Child Care Connection Hawaii (CCCH) program provides families with: subsidies to help with child care expenses; guidance in selecting a child care provider; information about quality child care programs; and referrals to community resources for help with other concerns. The highest priority is given to children who need out of home care for protective service reasons, to assure children’s safety, comfort, and health. CCCH also helps low income families to sustain their employment, educational efforts and job training, by paying a subsidy for their children’s care by DHS approved child care providers. Unless child care is provided for protective reasons, there are income and activity requirements for eligibility in this program.
Preschool Open Doors (POD) is a separate program of CCCH, that provides state-wide services to families sending their children to a licensed preschool during the school year prior to their entering kindergarten. The POD program’s goal is to contribute to the school readiness of children four years old, and three years old with special needs. POD focuses on meeting the child’s needs. The parents do not have to have an activity as they do in CCCH. There is a limited open enrollment period in the spring for this program.
