LIHUE — The Preschool Open Doors program provides subsidies to families with low or moderate income who may not be able to send their children to preschool.
Applications are being accepted for the state-sponsored Preschool Open Doors program.
Among the first recipients of the year is Lydia Rodriguez. She is a mom of three, and said she is ecstatic to be getting this financial help.
“Education is the primary thing we can give to our keiki,” she said. “I’m grateful that the state is helping families like mine who can’t pay the full cost of childcare or preschool.”
Mary Lu Kelley, Kauai coordinator of PATCH (People Attentive To CHildren), goes deeper into the crisis that most struggling families faced before getting help.
Kelley said, “six years ago there was a ‘late-born’ act that the Legislature created. If your child was not 5 years old by July 31st, they would have to stay an extra year in preschool or at childcare before they could be enrolled in kindergarten. The average cost of childcare or a good preschool can range from $600 to $750.”
“Which meant parents would have to pay out of pocket, money they didn’t have, to keep their child in preschool or at childcare an extra year. POD was created to help ease the financial burden for these families that face this age requirement problem,” said Kelley.
The state Department of Human Services says this program serves 1,300 students statewide. Priority is given to children with special needs or those considered at risk. Only children born between Aug. 1, 2015 and July 31, 2016 are eligible.
Subsidies can be used at over 400 state-licensed preschools. The financial aid is applied to the 2020-21 school year.
The PATCH website, patchhawaii.org, has applications and income eligibility requirements, which may also be obtained by calling PATCH Kauai at 246-0622.
The application deadline is March 31.
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Stephanie Shinno, staff writer, can be reached at 245-0424 or sshinno@thegardenisland.com.
