Early childhood education and child care are pivotal components in the developmental journey of children, laying a foundation that significantly influences their future learning and success. On Hawaiʻi Island, the landscape of early learning and child care is as diverse and dynamic as the island itself, presenting unique opportunities and challenges for families, educators, and service providers alike.

In partnership with Vibrant Hawaiʻi's network of over 40 Resilience Hubs, the Vibrant Hawaiʻi Youth Ambassadors and UH Hilo's Ka Pouhana students connected with over 800 parents of of children ages 5 and below to learn more about their child care and early learning preferences, barriers, and experiences engaging with providers. This report provides the results of Phase I: the Aʻo A Mālama Early child care Survey disseminated between November 2022 - March 2023, and Phase II: individual parent interviews conducted between July - August 2023.