On behalf of the entire Child Care Aware of America team, we offer our sympathies to those who have lost family and friends and wish those who were injured a quick recovery. Our thoughts are with the people of Maui and all of Hawai’i. It is hard to grasp how so many lost their lives, their homes, their livelihoods and so much more.
In just a few short hours, four of the nine child care programs in the town of Lahaina – site of the country’s deadliest wildfire in more than a century – were lost, adding another layer of tragedy to the people of Maui as they begin to rebuild their lives.
CCAoA member PATCH, Hawai'i's designated Child Care Resource and Referral agency, is working with child care providers to maintain a list of still-operating providers. The list is available on the PATCH Facebook page. The page also includes several CCAoA resources to help providers deal with wildfires, cope with power outages and prepare to evacuate or shelter in place.
A few members of our team will be visiting PATCH soon on a preplanned visit, and we are working closely with our PATCH colleagues to determine how we can be most helpful at this time.
If you wish to support the rebuilding of the child care system in Maui, please visit the PATCH website. Please note specifically in the comment section that your contribution should benefit Maui early childhood education.
Our hearts are with the people of Maui and across Hawai’i as they begin to heal following this terrible disaster.
