Enhance Quality of Life
:Home Ownership & Quality Rental Inventories
:Effective Social Services Solutions
:Access and Sustainability of Quality Health Care
:Support for Our Military Community
:Perpetuate Our Host Culture
:Stewardship of Our Natural Environment

Improve Employment, Education & Investment Opportunities

Upgrade Infrastructure and Review Our Master Planning Process

EMC Recommendations

Summary of Recommendations

2005 Final Report

Key Social Service Indicators

1. Data for Indicators # 1-4 are for year 2003 and data for Indicators # 5-13 are for year 2002.

2. For Indicators # 1-12, the lower the rank, the better. It's just the opposite for indicator # 13.

Sources: KidsCount Data 2005 for Indicators #1-12, and Census Bureau for Indicator # 13.

In Hawaii, most children live with families with two working parents, and children are often left home alone to care for themselves. Teen pregnancy is also high.  20% of teen births in 2002 were to women who were already mothers. Births to unmarried women are also on the rise, at 34% in 2002 from 25% in 2000. We are dramatically sliding in other social indicators, such as maternal and child health, where we now rank 29^th in infant mortality, whereas we ranked 3^rd in 2000.

Single-parent households are also increasing with 30% of our children living in a home with only one parent. In 2003, Hawaii ranked 28^th compared to other states with children living in families where no parent has full time year round employment, 23^rd in the percentage of children in poverty, and 29^th in terms of single-parent households.

These indicators are compounded by other frightening indicators, such as 11% of 12-17 year olds, and 39% of 18-25 year olds, in Hawaii, reported binge alcohol drinking in 2002.  Similarly, 10% of 12-17 year olds, and 33% of 18-25 year olds reported cigarette use; while 9% of 12-17 year olds and 16% of 18-25 year olds reported marijuana use.

With the millions of dollars we spend every year on programs to help our children and those in need, Hawaii’s rankings in the bottom half of various social indicators suggest that socioeconomic barriers to maintaining strong families and children are still formidable in Hawaii. The challenge we face is how to find or redirect services spent on treatment and before families find themselves entwined in the deterioration of the social services fabric. The challenge affects economic development and opportunity for both employees and employers of the state. Strong families raising strong and educated offspring provide qualified applicants who are able to attain and succeed in sustainable living wage jobs and above.  Employers can benefit from healthy and productive workforce in order to assure a dynamic and robust future for all.

Hawaii must focus on preventative measures to ensure that we raise and maintain a citizenry of responsible children and parents.  This includes supporting parent-teacher-student relations, developing life skills that include leadership, citizenship, and financial responsibility, and reaching our kids before the alcohol or drugs do.  Recognizing that life in the 21^st Century has changed, and therefore the needs of our people have changed, we must change the way we respond to our needs.  More money is not the only answer.  Hawaii must simply invest earlier in helping families understand how to protect and build strong families.