134 HAWAII PARENT May/June 2024 keiki. Even if both parents work, childcare is often unaffordable, so other family members are called upon to care for keiki,” said Shawn Kanaʻiaupuni, Partners in Development Foundation’s President and CEO. “Tutu and Me meets this need by providing rich opportunities for keiki’s socio-emotional and academic development while supporting and equipping caregivers in their critical role.” Whether you’re looking to get a head start on potty training, early literacy and numeracy, or want a few hours of socialization with other caregivers and keiki, INPEACE, Keiki O Ka ‘Aina, and Partners in Development Foundation offer year-round programming to help your keiki get ready for kindergarten. To find and enroll in a free, part-time, Hawaiian cultural-based early childhood education program, visit www.inpeace.org/hoala. Momi Akana, Keiki O Ka ‘Aina’s CEO. “Through our focus on culture-based education, we re-awaken the traditional strengths of Hawaiian families as leaders of their children’s education. Parents begin see themselves as bearers of shared traditional responsibility.” Partners in Development Foundation’s Tutu and Me Traveling Preschools reach thousands of keiki and their caregivers in over 28 communities across the state. The Tutu and Me Traveling Preschool has worked with Native Hawaiian families with keiki ages birth to five in remote and rural communities for more than twenty-four years. The goal of Tutu and Me is to meet the educational, social, and emotional needs of families so that keiki will enter school ready to learn and succeed. “In the Hawaiian culture, grandparents or tutu are oftentimes the caregivers of Early Learning and School Readiness programs are designed to prepare you and your little ones for a future of lifelong learning. “The Tutu and Me Traveling Preschool targets Native Hawaiian families with keiki ages birth to five in underserved communities.”
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTcxMjMwNg==