History of Parents As Teachers in Hawaiʻi
Keiki O Ka ʻĀina’s (KOKA) journey with the Parents as Teachers (PAT) model began 25 years ago through its Native Hawaiian Education Programs. From the very beginning, the PAT model was thoughtfully chosen for its strong alignment with KOKA’s mission—to educate children, strengthen families, enrich communities, and perpetuate culture—while honoring parents as their child’s first and most influential teacher.
KOKA’s work is guided by Native Hawaiian values that shape every aspect of service delivery and relationships with families. Aloha is expressed through compassionate presence, deep listening, and respect for each family’s story. Mālama informs how Family Support Professionals care for parents, children, and themselves—prioritizing safety, healing, and well-being. Lōkahi guides the program’s holistic approach, recognizing the importance of balance between emotional, physical, spiritual, and relational health. Poʻokela inspires a commitment to excellence and continuous growth, uplifting parents and caregivers to reach their highest potential as leaders within their ʻohana and communities.
Over the years, as KOKA’s community-based home visiting programs grew, the PAT model was implemented across a wide range of settings. These included the Maui Community Correctional Center; the Women’s Community Correctional Center on Oʻahu; the Hawaiʻi Youth Correctional Facility in Olomana; the GRADS program at Maui High School (supporting pregnant high school students); community-based programming at Happy Valley in Waiehu, Maui; women’s...
Partnerships & Alignment
The Parents As Teachers State Office is made up of a collective of professionals with long-standing roots and contributions made to the 50 years of home visiting in Hawaiʻi. The State Office is committed to honoring the relationships, cultures, and communities that make up our pae ʻāina by using approaches that center around collaboration, transparency, and shared responsibility.
Hawaiʻi Association for Infant Mental Health (AIMH HI)
The mission of The Association for Infant Mental Health in Hawaiʻi is to nurture the emotional health and resiliency of Hawai‘i’s keiki by growing a network of professionals and a system of care that is founded upon infant and early childhood mental health practices.
We offer programs in support of the following areas:
Mental health consultation for infant and early childhood professionals
Promising Minds Fellows program
Endorsement® in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health
We promote the social and emotional health of Hawaiʻi’s youngest by building commitment and capacity to foster nurturing relationships, through partnerships, public education, professional training and advocacy.
Department of Human Services
Child Welfare Services (CWS) are services provided by the Department of Human Services (DHS), Social Services Division (SSD), Child Welfare Services Branch to children and their families when the children are reported to have been abused and/or neglected or are reported to be at risk for abuse and/or neglect. These services include child protection, prevention, and diversion services to keep children out of foster care. Child Welfare Services also include family support, foster care, adoption, legal guardianship, independent living, adoption assistance and guardianship payments, and licensing of resource caregivers, group homes, and child placing organizations.
The mission of the Child Welfare Services Branch is to ensure the safety, permanency, and wellbeing of children in their own homes first or, when necessary, in out-of-home placements. When a child cannot be safely returned to the family within a reasonable time frame, CWS will proceed with establishing a permanent placement for the child through adoption, legal guardianship, or another long-term substitute care. The Child Welfare Services Branch has offices on the islands of Oahu, Hawaiʻi, Kauai, Maui, Molokai, and Lanai.
Your ʻOhana Network
We’re here to support expecting parents and families with young children, from birth until they start kindergarten. If you’re going through a tough time or just need a little extra help during pregnancy or early childhood, we’re here for you.
Your ʻOhana Network offers free, trusted home visiting services that can help with:
Your child’s healthy growth and development
Building strong family relationships
Getting connected to helpful resources in your community
Our services are designed to meet the unique needs of families across Hawaiʻi. Families must meet certain guidelines to join, and we can help figure out if the program is a good fit.
