About Hoʻoikaika Partnership’s Work

The Hoʻoikaika Partnership is a coalition of community organizations, county and state agencies, and caring individuals working together to prevent child abuse and neglect across Maui, Molokaʻi, and Lānaʻi. Our focus is building what researchers call “protective factors,” the strengths and supports that help families manage stress and thrive. These include strong social connections, concrete support in times of need, knowledge of parenting and child development, parental resilience, and children’s social and emotional skills.

Research shows that when protective factors are strong, keiki are less likely to experience Adverse Childhood Experiences, often called ACEs. ACEs include things like abuse, neglect, or household challenges that can affect long-term health and well-being. The good news is that every day acts of support, connection, and care can buffer those risks and help families thrive.

Reporting Child Abuse

Mandated Reporters

The law requires certain individuals to report child abuse and/or neglect. These mandated reporters include doctors, nurses, people in other health-related professionals; employees or officers of schools; employees in social, medical, hospital, or mental health services, including financial assistance; employees or officers of any law enforcement agency; and individual providers or employees or officers of any child care facility. The police or child welfare services will walk you through the process on how to make a report.

To make sure you are prepared, please read:

• Child Welfare Services Mandated Reporter Guide
• Confidential Mandated Reporter Checklist

For more detailed guidelines, please visit the Hawai’i Children’s Justice Center’s Mandated Reporter Information Page.

Supporting Families Beyond Reporting

While reporting abuse is a critical and sometimes necessary step, there are other ways for community members to support ʻohana and keiki. These strategies include: helping ʻohana identify their protective factors, linking them to community resources, creating new family engagement tools and using parent navigators to help develop these strategies. Building pilina (relationship, community) involves making a paradigm shift in the way ʻohana and providers relate to one another. Too often, ʻohana are reluctant to seek services for fear of being reported. It is our communities – which includes educators, neighbors, medical professionals, social workers and service providers – that have the kuleana (responsibility) and opportunity for connecting ʻohana to supports that will help prevent child abuse and neglect.

Where to turn for support

Need help but not sure where to start?

Maui County has many organizations ready to walk alongside families from infancy through high school graduation. Reaching out is a sign of strength. Everyone needs help sometimes. No shame. Just support.

If you’re not sure where to start, Hoʻoikaika Partnership’s Navigation Services can help connect you to resources that match your needs.

Explore local resources:

• Connect with our Hoʻoikaika Navigator
• Learn about Protective Factors
• Find upcoming events

It is about connection and asking for help before stress turns into crisis. It is neighbors checking in on neighbors and parents supporting parents. Growing strong together means offering help when you can such as sharing a meal or volunteering at your child’s school.

Take a deep breath before responding during a stressful moment. Look for “Talking is Teaching” posters on Maui buses and around town. Talking, reading, and singing with your keiki from birth builds brain development, early literacy, and connection. Small, consistent interactions build big protective factors over time.

Activities for Child Abuse Prevention

Child Abuse Prevention and

Hawaiian Birthing Choices

Connecting Trauma-Informed Practices and Child Abuse Prevention in the Context of Birthing Choice and Maternal Care

Aligning birthing practices with cultural and spiritual traditions strengthens mother-child sense of safety and ability to form a healthy attachment, which correlates with the prevention of child abuse and neglect...read more.

Social Media for Child Abuse Prevention

Zoom Backgrounds

Instructions to Add to Zoom Background

1. Sign in to the Zoom desktop client
2. Click your profile picture in the top-right, then click Settings
3. Select Backgrounds & Filters
4. Check “I have a green screen,” if you have a physical green screen already set up
5. Click on an image or video to select the desired virtual background

Past Child Abuse Prevention Events & Resources