HAWAII News

Sacred Hearts Academy Future Business Leaders of America hosted a
"Princess for a Penny" fashion show raising $1,280.21 for Prevent Child Abuse Hawaii.


Students raised funds through sales of fashion show
tickets and DVD's, dresses, and a bake sale.

"Princess for a Penny" featured 60 dresses including original
student creations made from recycled items like bubble wrap, tissue
paper, coffee filters, and shower scrubbies.

HONOLULU---- The first-of-its-kind children's receiving home in Hawaii, Ho'omalu O
Na Kamali'i ("Protection and Safety for Children"), this month marks a
milestone with a successful first year of operation and hopes for
donations from the community to continue to help Leeward keiki. Since
opening its doors in April of 2009, the home, which is operated by
Family Programs Hawaii (FPH) under a contract with the State Department
of Human Services (DHS), has been a haven for children removed from
homes for alleged abuse and neglect. Some of the most significant
outcomes this past year have included:
127 siblings and 29 sibling groups (0-17 years old) were able to
remain together with their brothers and sisters in a safe and nurturing
home environment, instead of being separated into different foster
homes.The children experienced memorable activities and education
and cultural outings greatly lifting their spirits and self-esteem.55
family visits were held at Ho'omalu O Na Kamali'i, facilitating family
support and connectivity for these children.Six siblings from
Nanakuli, removed from their parents because of abuse, stayed together
in this safe and nurturing shelter, while continuing in their home
schools. They are now living with relatives.Two newborn infants
were sheltered at the home with their minor mom.Of the children
served to date, 47% were of Hawaiian ancestry and 55% were referred from
the Leeward Coast."We couldn't have asked for a better or more
successful first year," said Linda Santos, president and CEO of Family
Programs Hawaii. "It is extremely gratifying to know that we've been
able to help so many children, to allay their fears and provide comfort
during a time that can only be described as extreme and emotionally
draining. With Ho`omalu O Na Kamali`i and its wonderful staff and
network of volunteers, we are able to provide structure during a
traumatic time, and a safe and nurturing environment for children who
may have suffered abuse and neglect."Having served 127 children,
including one family of nine keiki, Ho`omalu O Na Kamali`i now is in
need of:(NEW items only please)

• arts & craft supplies
  
• backpacks
  
• school supplies
  
• blankets & towels
  
• clothing items
  
• sports and recreation equipment
  
• shoes & slippers
  
• toys & games
  

Basically anything a child uses in his or her everyday life.Hawaii
Self Storage is now accepting donations of these items at all five
Hawaii Self Storage locations in Salt Lake, Pearl City, Kaimuki,
Mililani and Kapolei."Ho`omalu O Na Kamali`i could not have
happened without the support and commitment of many people," Santos
said. "This is a true example of the overwhelmingly positive results
that can occur when individuals, businesses, and local government come
together with one goal in mind to help children in need."Ho`omalu
O Na Kamali`i is a joint public-private success story. The State
provided the land, adjacent to the State's Ulu Ke Kukui temporary
housing development that offers transitional housing for the Leeward
Coast homeless. Hawaii Self Storage Owner and FPH Board Member Mike Wood
donated $1 million to the State in August 2007 to kick-start the
project. The Michael B. Wood family donated another $200,000 for
furnishings, fixtures and equipment and has pledged another $8 million
over the next 20 years, at $400,000 a year, to assist in operating costs
of Ho'omalu O Na Kamali`i.Santos continued by saying, "We are
forever grateful to Mike and the Michael B. Wood family for their
extreme generosity and commitment to the future of Ho`omalu O Na
Kamali`i, and we encourage others to follow in their footsteps. There
are so many ways to get involved. Obviously monetary gifts are always
welcome but ongoing support is also welcome through volunteer hours as
well as in-kind donations."Located in Ma`ili on Oahu's Leeward
Coast, Ho'omalu O Na Kamali'i is a secure and temporary place where
individual children and brothers and sisters can stay together while
State Child Welfare Services (CWS) social workers investigate their home
situation due to reports of alleged child abuse or neglect. On any
given day in Hawaii, 1,500 children are in foster care due to confirmed
child abuse or neglect, which is almost half the number in 2005,
according to the State Department of Human Services (DHS).When
children are removed from their family homes for safety reasons, CWS
social workers call ahead to Ho'omalu O Na Kamali'i. Staff and
volunteers, available 24 hours a day, prepare a room for the kids,
complete with everything from clothes and bedding to toothpaste and
toiletries. While at the home, children receive a medical evaluation
within the first 24 hours of arriving at the facility, in accordance
with DHS Administrative Rules, as well as a comprehensive assessment to
help CWS social workers and the children's families plan for them.Additional
funding and support has come from individuals, businesses and even a
middle school that donated substantial gifts to sponsor rooms and a
playground and sports court. Stanford Carr Development donated the
construction cost of the home. Currently a Brick Campaign continues and
for $200, donors can have their name inscribed on a brick that is
installed in the patio of the home. Meanwhile there are still 8 bedrooms
that can be purchased for naming rights for $10,000 each.For
more information on Family Programs Hawaii and Ho'omalu O Na Kamali'i,
visit www.FamilyProgramsHawaii.org.

Hawaii will be part of an unprecedented long-term study of children's health in the United States.The "National Children's Study" will ultimately involve 100,000 children around the country, and follow them for 21 years.Researchers announced that they will be looking for women who are about to have children."A woman needs to be between the ages of 18 and 49 years of age. She can be pregnant, hoping to become pregnant, or become pregnant over the study period," said Dr. Elizabeth McFarlane, a research investigator for the study.Then, the study will take a long-term look at the child."We want to study the baby before the baby is born throughout the pregnancy, and all the way until the child turns 21 years old," said research co-director Dr. Beatriz Rodriguez."This will be the largest study of child health and development ever conducted across the U.S., with over a thousand children (in Hawaii) enrolled and followed through age 21," the study's principal investigator, Dr. Lynnae Sauvage, said.Overall, the researchers want to examine the effects of various genetic and environmental influences on the health and development of the one thousand children in Hawaii as they grow up and become adults."We are interested in looking at a number of common diseases that occur in childhood and adolescence," said Dr. Rodriguez. "This includes diabetes and obesity."The researchers also said the study will not involved any medical procedures. They just want to ask questions."It's an observational study where we're just asking people to tell us about their daily lives, about where their children live, work and play, about what kinds of foods they eat," Dr. McFarlane said.The University of Hawaii's John A. Burns School of Medicine is one of only 37 study centers around the country that will start the research. They hope to recruit at least a thousand women to participate, and have targeted a dozen random neighborhoods on Oahu. Those neighborhoods are Moanalua, Salt Lake, Pearl Harbor, Ewa Beach, Waipahu, Mililani, Schofield Barracks, Waianae, Haleiwa, Hauula, Kailua, and the Honolulu International Airport area. Homes in those neighborhoods will receive postcards in the mail starting around October 11."And then, hopefully, by the end of October, we'll start knocking on the doors and asking people to participate in the study," Dr. Sauvage said. The field researchers making the door to door visits will have visible identification. Besides those visits, health care providers are also being asked to encourage pregnant women to take part. Participants will be given a modest reimbursement for their time.The researchers say the results of the study ultimately will be used to improve the health and well-being of children in Hawaii and around the U.S. More information can be found at www.NationalChildrensStudy.gov. Those interested in participating in the study can e-mail ncsuhm@hawaii.edu.