The Mālama ‘Ohana Working Group (MOWG), established during the 2023 legislative session and signed into law as Act 86 by Governor Josh Green, M.D., on June 14, 2023, has announced its schedule for listening sessions. The concept of the working group originated within the Nā Kama a Hāloa Network, which comprises over 30 organizations dedicated to improving the lives of Native Hawaiian keiki and ʻohana, particularly those over-represented in the state’s child welfare system.
Convened by the Office of Wellness and Resilience (OWR) in the Office of the Governor, the group aims to gather input from youth, parents, kin, and others with lived experience with Hawai‘i's child welfare system. This feedback will be used to redesign and recommend transformative changes. The MOWG plans to submit its formal recommendations to the legislature before the 2025 legislative session.
For more information, visit malamaohana.net.
The full list of 11 community meetings is below.