Posted on: Monday, February 23, 2004

ISLAND VOICES
Safeguarding our keiki's future

By Sen. S. Chun Oakland and Rep. Dennis Arakaki

One of the key responsibilities of Hawai'i's lawmakers is caring for the children of our island home, ensuring that they grow up in the kind of environment that will allow them to take their place as leaders of the future.

That responsibility extends to a number of areas, including education, child welfare, youth development and healthcare. The Keiki Caucus was formed at the Legislature 14 years ago in recognition of our responsibility to generations to come.

Caucus members include state senators and representatives and a community resource group of children and youth advocates and providers, who have been critically important in assisting the caucus with identifying priority areas for children and youth in Hawai'i.

The Keiki Caucus' vision is that all of Hawai'i's children should be healthy, safe and ready to learn and succeed. Toward that goal, this year's Keiki Caucus package of 42 bills addresses such issues as substance abuse, education, youth development, child welfare, child safety, childcare, health and self-sufficiency. Between May and December 2003, the Keiki Caucus resource group reviewed a variety of measures, assigning priorities to those most urgently needed.

Substance abuse continues to be a major problem with Hawai'i's youth. One bill proposes to restore full funding for the Healthy Hawai'i Initiative for fiscal year 2004-2005 from the Tobacco Settlement Fund. It further authorizes the appropriation of monies for Healthy Start Hawai'i from general funds.

Another bill appropriates funds for high, intermediate and elementary schools for substance-abuse prevention and treatment programs. Another bill gives the Department of Health funding to ensure that parents with children under the age of 19 are allowed the option of taking part in residential substance-abuse treatment programs.

Education is a priority issue this legislative session, and a number of Keiki Caucus measures are aimed at helping young people make the most of educational opportunities.

The Keiki Caucus worked to provide fun and meaningful and interesting opportunities for children and youth to explore their potential; pursue career, educational, cultural and recreational interests, and, at the same time, address the problem of young people getting into trouble during non-school hours.

Funds are being requested for afterschool, before-school, weekend and holiday programs that offer healthy alternatives to gangs and drugs. Child safety is addressed through a package of bills aimed at child welfare and the problem of abuse and neglect within families. Citizens would be allowed to check off a space on their income tax forms that delivers funds to the Hawai'i Children's Trust Fund, a domestic violence-prevention special fund, and spouse- and child-abuse special accounts. Another requires members of the clergy to report cases of child abuse to the police or the Department of Human Services.

Adolescent health is a growing concern, and childhood obesity is on the rise. One of the bills in the Keiki Caucus package proposes to establish a school nutrition advisory council and establish nutrition standards for food and beverages sold in schools. Another bill appropriates funds to provide full-time physical education positions in the Department of Education to improve physical education programs and promote healthier living.

A measure to promote economic self-sufficiency for youth and their families provides for an annual adjustment to the state minimum wage based upon federal cost-of-living allowance increases.

This is the time to understand that the issues that affect young people affect us all. These issues are central to our quality of life. We owe the children of Hawai'i, and ourselves, our very best effort.

Gov. Lingle said in her State of the State address that, as statesmen, we must think about the next generation, not the next election. The Keiki Caucus was founded on this very premise. Indeed, we can never go wrong if we put Hawai'i's children, youth and families first.

State Sen. Suzanne Chun Oakland and Rep. Dennis Arakaki are co-convenors of the Hawai'i State Legislature's Keiki Caucus.