Hawai’i
Working families in Hawai’i need accessible, affordable, quality child care and early learning opportunities for their children.
Currently, federal and state early learning programs reach thousands of young children and their families in Hawaii. But too many working families in Hawai’i are missing out. As a direct result of child care issues, the Hawai’i economy loses millions of dollars each year in the form of lost earnings, productivity, and revenue.
In the state, 64% of children have all available parents participating in the workforce, while the average cost of care is $24,115 a year (or $2,010 per month).
More than 2,500 children ages 5 and under have child care costs subsidized through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), or 16% of those eligible. The average copay with a CCDBG subsidy is $528 a month.
2.8K children receive care, learning, nutrition, and other services at no cost through Early Head Start/Head Start (or 13% of those eligible for Early Head Start and 37% of those eligible for Head Start).
And 18.9K working families have the cost of their child care offset through the Child + Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC).
However, many working parents still struggle to access affordable, quality child care, which costs the state’s economy an estimated $688 million each year in lost earnings and productivity.
Hawai’i: In The Headlines
Hawai’i’s childcare workforce crisis impacts families, economy
KHON | February 10, 2026
Hawai‘i’s early childhood workforce crisis is reaching a breaking point, with far-reaching consequences for families and the state’s economy.
Early Learning Sites Could Close Soon In Hawaiʻi Amid Federal Funding Chaos
Honolulu Civil Beat | January 30, 2026
Providers are preparing for the possibility of closing down dozens of early learning sites across the state as uncertainty swirls around federal funding and the expiration of grants.
New data reveals Hawaiʻi’s shocking child care costs
KHON | August 18, 2025
Child care costs remained amongst the highest in the nation. In 2024, the average annual cost for an infant in a Hawai‘i child-care center was $24,115.
Hawai’i Resources & News
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