02/24/2026
A big mahalo to our kama'āina 'ohana at Hawai'i Panel Research – the heart of our local insights! Your voices, experiences, and honest feedback helped power the 2024 Hawai'i Early Childhood Comprehensive Needs Assessment (PDG B-5 Update: Our Keiki, Our 'Ohana, Our Future).
Key findings from this statewide report – on high child care costs, infant-toddler shortages, affordability struggles, and workforce challenges – are making headlines today in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser: 'Rising child care costs strain families despite wage gains.' These real kama'āina perspectives are driving important conversations and state efforts to support working families and our youngest keiki.
Proud of the Ward Research team's contributions alongside partners like HCAN, UH Center on the Family, and Hawai'i Integrated Analytics.
Full report available now on wardresearch.com!
With Hawaii’s cost of living ranking among the highest in the nation, state leaders are accelerating public preschool and child care subsidy expansions aimed at helping working families afford early
education.