Preschool Open Doors (POD) helps promote school readiness for children by helping families pay preschool tuition for up to one year. To qualify, a family must meet these requirements:
1) Age of Child:
a. Priority will be for children born August 1 – December 31, 2009 who are not eligible for kindergarten for the 2014-2015 school year who are underserved or at-risk children.
2) Gross Family Income must be less than the allowable income limits for the family size.
Assistance is provided on a sliding fee scale to eligible children according to priority criteria based on the age and special populations referral documentation of the child, and the income and size of the family. The POD subsidy may not cover the full cost of preschool, thus families may be required to pay for some of the preschool costs.
Based on the available funding, there are a limited number of slots available statewide for Preschool Open Doors. Assistance may begin July 2014 or later, dependent on the preschool’s start date, through June 2015. Each family has different needs and preferences. The parent/guardian chooses the preschool most appropriate for his/her child. The child may attend any DHS licensed group child care center or group child care home (i.e. preschool).
For more information or to request an application please call POD: Oahu (808) 791-2130 or Toll-Free 1-800-746-5620
If families are not selected for a Preschool Open Doors slot, the Department of Human Services (DHS) also operates the Child Care Connection Hawaii (CCCH) child care subsidy program, which helps low-income families to sustain their employment, educational efforts and job training by paying a subsidy for their children who are in the care of DHS-approved child care providers. Unless child care is required for protective purposes, families must meet income and activity requirements to qualify for this subsidy program. There are additional criteria, including family size, child care cost, and hours of activity (i.e. employment, education or job training) that determine the amount of child care assistance a family may receive. The CCCH subsidy may not cover the full cost of child care, thus families may be required to pay for some of the child care costs.
For more information about Child Care Connection Hawaii, please call
Honolulu (808) 566-2600
Leeward Oahu (808) 356-5575
Hilo (808) 961-6807
Kona (808) 334-6101
Maui, Molokai, Lanai (808) 249-2461
Kauai (808) 245-2193
