Maui childcare center delayed
By Christie Wilson
Neighbor Island Editor
WAILUKU, Maui — Unexpected construction costs have delayed groundbreaking for Maui's first childcare facility for infants and toddlers.
Officials are seeking an additional $380,000 in grants and donations, and will be putting the Kahi Kamali'i contract up for rebidding, said Audrey Rocha Reed, executive vice president of the nonprofit J. Walter Cameron Center, which is developing the project at its Wailuku site.
The county already awarded a $251,000 community development block grant for the $1 million project, and the Samuel N. and Mary Castle Foundation and the Atherton Family Foundation each donated $50,000 for construction. The Cameron Center kicked in $270,000, including a $65,000 contribution from an anonymous donor, Reed said.
She said planners underestimated the cost of the playground and specialized accommodations required for infant care, and are awaiting word on additional grant requests. The project will be rebid this month, and if all goes well, construction should start in September and the center could open next April, Reed said.
The 4,272-square-foot center will be operated by the federal Head Start program, administered locally by Maui Economic Opportunity Inc. It will accommodate 40 infants and toddlers up to age 3. There will be four beds for newborns.
Kahi Kamali'i — a "place for children" — will be a welcome addition to childcare resources on Maui, as there are no center-based programs for children too young for preschool.
"Over a number of years and especially with welfare reform, there has been a growing need for infant and toddler childcare for low-income families," said Terry Lock, Maui County's early-childhood resource coordinator.
The center will be open from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. to accommodate parents who work at night. Weekend and drop-in care also will be offered.
Kahi Kamali'i also will be used as a lab for Maui Community College students studying early-childhood education. There already is a Head Start preschool on the MCC campus.
