the garden island HONOLULU — To help address child care challenges in Hawai‘i — the state with more two-career families than anywhere else in the nation, PATCH now offers Enhanced Referrals, a convenient way for families to find child care,
the garden island
HONOLULU — To help address child care challenges in Hawai‘i — the state with more two-career families than anywhere else in the nation, PATCH now offers Enhanced Referrals, a convenient way for families to find child care, according to a news release.
The only service of its kind in the state, an Enhanced Referral allows parents to select the location and child care criteria they are looking for, and PATCH —which stands for People Attentive to Children — will generate a list of child care providers who can meet their needs. PATCH will contact those providers on the parents’ behalf to find out which ones truly have openings for their children.
Business packages are available for employers that want to offer their staff an easier way to secure child care, according to the news release. All referrals are state licensed professionals who meet health and safety standards and have undergone background checks.
PATCH also helps parents find subsidy programs to help defray child care costs, the release states.
A 2011 PATCH survey of 1,467 Hawai‘i residents revealed that 80 percent of parents looking for child care referrals needed infant or toddler care, but often were “not able to find any providers with infant openings.”
Almost 30 percent of parents reported that they were unable to find a child care space due to a “lack of openings,” while 12 percent list “location” as the main factor.
After analyzing the survey results, PATCH developed the Enhanced Referral Service to help families to find the care they need.
“Enhanced Referrals are a vital service for parents, especially working families, that don’t have time to call around looking for child care space,” said Katy Chen, executive director of PATCH. “This will save families a lot of frustration and give them peace of mind knowing their provider is licensed by the state.”
For more information on Enhanced Referrals and child care in your area, call 839-1988 or visit www.PatchHawaii.org/families/referral.
PATCH, which has been helping Hawai‘i’s families balance work and family responsibilities since 1976, offers more than 500 free child care trainings for parents and child care providers each year, as well as scholarships and professional development assistance for early childhood education professionals.
