Fellows mentioned in this story: Kerrie Urosevich
From Civil Beat:
Many Hawaiʻi parents expected January to mark the start of lower preschool costs and more affordable early learning options for their children.
Act 203, which went into effect Jan. 1, made 2-year-olds eligible for subsidies to help thousands of families cover preschool tuition. Previously, only 3- to 5-year-olds qualified for the state subsidies, run under the program Preschool Open Doors.
But in December, the Department of Human Services instructed families of 2-year-olds to hold off applying for the subsidies. The department hasn’t amended the administrative rules needed to implement the new eligibility requirements, so it won’t be able to distribute subsidies to 2-year-olds until later this year.
“Please check back in early 2026 for updates on applying for 2-year-olds and for the 2026-2027 application timeline,” the department said in flyers distributed to families and preschool providers.
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Hawai‘i Public Radio — The Hawaiʻi Legislature opens for business on Jan. 21. Between now and the opening session, HPR will be hearing a lot about plans and priorities. From federal funding cuts to climate change, a lot of those priorities focus on Hawaiʻi's environment.