The application period for the state’s Preschool Open Doors (POD) program has officially opened.

Beginning Tuesday, July 1, low- to middle-income households can apply for the POD program (administered by the state’s Dept. of Human Services) which provides monthly childcare and preschool tuition subsidies for qualifying families.

Last week, Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke signed Act 203 (House Bill 692) into law, expanding on the state’s Preschool Open Doors program tuition subsidy program.

The state has taken another step toward making preschool more accessible to keiki.

On Tuesday, acting Gov. Sylvia Luke signed House Bill 692 into law, expanding the age and income eligibility thresholds of the Preschool Open Doors program, which offers monthly tuition subsidies to eligible families.

A new law signed Tuesday by Acting Gov. Sylvia Luke will significantly expand Hawaii’s Preschool Open Doors program, extending eligibility to younger children and higher-­earning families, while also easing restrictions on child care providers.

House Bill 692, now Act 203, will take effect Jan. 1 , broadening eligibility to include 2-year-olds and removing the requirement that child care providers be accredited — an often expensive and time-­consuming process that has limited participation.

Serving as Acting Governor, Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke signed a major expansion of the state’s Preschool Open Doors (POD) tuition subsidy program into law on Tuesday, June 24.

Act 203 (House Bill 692) will take effect on Jan. 1, 2026. The law reduces barriers for accessing child care in Hawaii by expanding eligibility to include two-year-olds and removing accreditation requirements for child care providers.

A newly signed bill will expand preschool access to include two-year-olds.

Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke, serving as Acting Governor, signed Bill 692 on Tuesday, a major expansion of the state’s Preschool Open Doors (POD) tuition subsidy program.

“We know that far too many working families fall into the gap, they earn too much to qualify for help but still struggle to afford quality child care,” said Lt. Governor Luke.

Fifty new public preschool classrooms will open statewide over the next two years. It’s the next phase of the Ready Keiki initiative, which is aiming to provide universal pre-K by 2032.

Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke said the new classrooms are part of a larger effort in the state to create more seats for young children.

Families across Hawaii can expect to see 50 new public preschool classrooms over the next two school years under the Ready Keiki Initiative, Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke announced Tuesday.

About 25 new classrooms are scheduled to open statewide for the upcoming 2025-26 school year, with the other 25 opening by August 2026.

Parents of young children are getting more opportunities to enroll them in a public preschool class, all thanks to the state’s Ready Keiki initiative.

Over the next two years, the state will open 50 more public pre-school classrooms, increasing early education opportunities for more than 2,700 kids statewide.

More keiki across Hawaii could soon have access to free preschool, thanks to the next phase of Lt. Governor Sylvia Luke’s “Ready Keiki” initiative.

On Monday, Luke unveiled plans to open 50 new pre-K classrooms over the next two years, with a focus on serving families in rural areas. The expansion is part of a long-term goal to offer universal preschool access to all Hawaii 3- and 4-year-olds by 2032.

On Hawaii Island, a public preschool classroom is now open in South Kona.

Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke and state Sen. Dru Kanuha, D-Kona, Kau, Volcano, recently visited the new classroom at Hookena Elementary.

It’s the second public pre-K classroom to open in West Hawaii since the launch of the Ready Keiki initiative, which now operates classrooms on all islands.

“Expanding preschool access on the Big Island and in rural communities is about equity and opportunity for both our keiki and their families,” Luke said.

Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke and Senator Dru Kanuha had the chance to visit a new public pre-kindergarten classroom at Ho’okena Elementary School.

The new classroom at Ho’okena Elementary is the second public preschool to open on West Hawaii Island since the launch of the Ready Keiki initiative in January 2023. The Ready Keiki initiative aims to expand preschools statewide.

Hawaiʻi, with leadership from Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, has set the goal for universal access to early learning programs for all 3- and 4-year-olds by 2032. We are well on our way to achieving this goal through a mixed-delivery system, leveraging our public and community-based programs via combined investments in public pre-K classrooms and preschool subsidies.

Next school year, the agency with eight employees and expanding funds anticipates adding preschool space for an additional 497 children toward a long-term goal to help produce classrooms for all Hawaii 3- and 4-year-olds by 2032 under a 2023 Ready Keiki initiative led by Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke.

According to the 177 page document, the State of Hawai‘i School Facilities Authority will fund the construction of the facility under the “Ready keiki” program, in order to provide affordable childcare for University of Hawai‘i at Hilo students, faculty, and the surrounding community. The facility will also support workforce development for new teachers, and address the growing demand for early childhood education taught in the Hawaiian language.

While the state would like to take a more aggressive approach to opening public preschool classrooms moving forward, Luke said, the Ready Keiki initiative is also relying on private providers and charter schools to help expand access. The state is starting larger construction projects, like standalone preschool centers, that could add seats more rapidly as they open in the next few years.

Hawaiʻi remains a national leader in preschool quality, meeting all 10 of the National Institute for Early Education Research’s (NIEER) benchmarks for high-quality early learning, according to NIEER’s newly released 2024 State of Preschool Yearbook. 

Hawaiʻi met all 10 national benchmarks for preschool quality, according to the National Institute for Early Education Research’s (NIEER) 2024 State of Preschool Yearbook, maintaining its status as a national leader in early childhood education.

A new report shows that Hawaii preschool programs rank among the top best state-funded programs nationally.

During the 2023-2024 school year, The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) reported that Hawaii preschools enrolled 1,026 children, which was an increase of 322 from the year prior.

State spending per child equaled about $7,400 in 2023-2024, down $3,200 from 2022-2023, adjusted for inflation. State spending for that year totaled $7.5 million.

Some of Maui’s youngest learners welcomed special visitors this week as Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke visited new public pre-kindergarten classrooms at Haʻikū Elementary and Kīhei Elementary. Luke, who leads the state’s Ready Keiki initiative to expand access to preschool statewide, was joined by Sen. Lynn DeCoite and Rep. Terez Amato.

Maui preschoolers welcomed a special visitor this week as Hawai’i Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke visited new classrooms at Haʻikū Elementary and Kīhei Elementary. Luke, who leads the state’s Ready Keiki initiative to expand access to preschool statewide, was joined by state Sen. Lynn DeCoite and Rep. Terez Amato.