Maui Economic Opportunity (MEO) Head Start preschool program has secured $2.7 million in federal funding for the 2025-26 school year, as announced on Wednesday. This significant investment underscores the importance of early childhood education in Maui County and provides crucial resources for the program's continued operation and expansion. This funding enables MEO to continue offering high-quality, no-cost preschool to income-qualifying families on Maui and Moloka'i.
MEO's Head Start program provides comprehensive early childhood education, serving children who are or will be 3 or 4 years old by July 31st, 2025. Families may qualify if they are unhoused, enrolled in TANF, SSI, or SNAP, or meet federal income guidelines. Foster children are also eligible, ensuring that the program reaches those most in need meoinc.org. The program operates at several sites across Maui, including Haiku, Kahului, Kihei, Lahaina, Makawao, Wailuku, and at UH-Maui College, as well as Kaunakakai on Moloka'i, with each site certified for 20 children.
This funding is a boon for local families and the broader Maui economy. By providing access to early childhood education, MEO Head Start supports working parents and allows them to pursue employment opportunities, contributing to the stability and growth of local businesses. The Head Start program also provides children with the foundational skills needed for future academic success, creating a more skilled and educated workforce for Maui's future. The focus the Head Start program places on education could have rippling effects throughout Hawaii as the children grow and mature.
MEO, a private non-profit Community Action Agency chartered in 1965, provides diverse services aimed at assisting low-income individuals, families, and other disadvantaged groups across Maui, Molokai, and Lanai linkedin.com. MEO's commitment to “helping people…changing lives” for over 55 years has made a tangible impact, and they work with more than twenty-five community partners to achieve these goals meoinc.org. This recent funding not only supports essential services, but also bolsters the local economy through job creation and educational opportunities, making it a win for Hawaii's entrepreneurs and the community as a whole.
