25th ANNIVERSARY COMMENDATION FOR HEALTHY START

HONOLULU - On March 17, the Senate of the Hawai’i State Legislature presented a commendation to the Healthy Start program “for its noble efforts in protecting and nurturing the most vulnerable of our residents, and extends its sincerest wishes for its continued success.”

Consuelo Foundation Board Member and founding CEO Patti J. Lyons took part in the ceremony on the Senate floor along with other Healthy Start founders.

It was in1984, that Sen. Mamoru Yamasaki and the Legislature passed legislation to pilot the child abuse prevention program in Ewa Beach.  Several decades of advocacy by many had preceded this action.

In 1968, pediatrician Calvin Sia and then social worker Patti Lyons had advocated for a mandatory child abuse reporting law and for a first child protection center.  Initiated by the Hawai’i Family Support Center, a hospital-based screening program was started at Kapi’olani Medical Center with the Hana Like Home Visiting Program, focusing on

child abuse prevention among infants ages 0 to 3.

With funding assistance from Consuelo Foundation, Barbara Naki, Barbara Yamashita, Dr. Sia, Gail Breakey, and Betsy Pratt helped to expand this work and created Family Support Services in Hilo, Kona, Maui, Moloka’i and Kaua’i.

During the 1984 legislative session, then a state senator, U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie was instrumental in identifying funds for the Healthy Start pilot program legislation initiated by Sen. Yamasaki.

Over the years, Healthy Start expanded statewide and is now serving more than 4,000 families annually.  Agencies involved include Child and Family Service, Parents and Children Together, Catholic Charities, West Hawaii Family Support Services, the YWCA of Hawaii, and Maui Family Support Services.

The philosophy of Healthy Start is that prevention as early as possible is critical.  As a public health-oriented child abuse prevention program, Healthy Start strategically uses a research-validated assessment to triage high risk families and focus scarce resources on those most in need to strengthen family capacity, reduce risk of abuse and neglect, and promote child health and development.  This effort to redirect and create healthy families provides the safety net for the most vulnerable infants and toddlers, and improves the odds that these children do not have adverse early experiences, and that they reach school age healthy and ready to learn.

Consuelo Foundation began Healthy Start programs in the Philippines in 1998 and used staff members from the Hawai’i Family Support Center as trainers in the program’s curriculum.  It now has nine (9) Healthy Start programs throughout the Philippines.

The Hawaii State Senate’s commendation of Healthy Start was introduced

by Sen. Will Espero.