Early Childhood Education
The lifelong benefits that accrue to young children who have experienced quality early care and education are well documented. The Kosasa Foundation seeks to contribute to improving the broader systems of care that are falling short in delivering value to Hawai‘i families, particularly those on our Neighbor Islands.
Currently, local, essential workers live on poverty wages, families spend nearly half their income on care, and children enter kindergarten with undiagnosed delays. Without a systemic intervention that aligns the workforce, kindergarten readiness, and employer-supported care, Hawaiʻi will continue to face a multi-generational educational gap, ongoing labor shortage, and the reluctant exodus of young families.
Program Pillars
For the inaugural year of KF’s Early Childhood Education Program, we choose to invest in new approaches in 3 critical pillars of that system. We invite proposals that address one of the following pillars:
A. Employer-sponsored childcare
- Encouraging businesses to leverage the expanded 45F tax credit by supporting childcare for their employees.
- Piloting models of employer-sponsored childcare systems that exist in other states or communities. We also welcome locally-generated pilots in collaboration with willing businesses.
- Addressing the need for care outside of traditional work hours.
B. Kindergarten Readiness
- Increase access to health, mental health, developmental screenings and services.
- Early literacy programs that are aligned with literacy standards in the Kindergarten Entry Assessment and demonstrate growth for all learners.
- Projects that improve or create data-sharing across providers so interventions are consistent and aligned with families’ culture and values
C. Workforce Development and Training
- Create incentives for existing early educators to stay – sustainable paths for continued learning and certifications, innovative subsidies that are sustainable over time.
- Create sustainable paths into the sector – alternate paths to certification or licensure.
- Policy advocacy around workforce funding and regulatory barriers
- Building the workforce of infant-toddler providers.
Budget
We expect project funding to range between $50,000 – $200,000 per year for one- or two-year projects. Budgets should be well aligned with the expected outcomes and results. We hope to see other resources brought to large scale projects.
How to Apply
Our Early Childhood Education and Care application is by invitation only. We will not accept unsolicited proposals. If you are interested in funding for this program, please fill out the questionnaire.
