Programs and organizations that benefit Hawaii’s schoolchildren have suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic due to budget cuts, according to reports.
“A lot of our after school programs and community organizations during the pandemic were providing meals for our kids and families,” Paula Adams with Hawaii Afterschool Alliance said. “Some of our programs were doing regular wellness check in with our kids. And so they also provide a safe place for our kids to be able to engage in the learning process. These places sometimes provide access to internet provide devices, but most importantly, provide someone who is there to work with the kids through through the school day when campuses were closed.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted inequalities among Hawaii’s children, according to Hawaii Children’s Action Network’s Executive Director Deborah Zysman.
“With COVID, we really saw the impact of our lack of investment in some of our social service safety nets, in our education safety net, and in our programs for working families," Zysman said.