LIHU‘E — On Nov. 5, Relative Caregivers raising keiki will have an opportunity to attend a free workshop to learn about community resources that could be of help with their unique challenges, according to a press release. The conference will
LIHU‘E — On Nov. 5, Relative Caregivers raising keiki will have an opportunity to attend a free workshop to learn about community resources that could be of help with their unique challenges, according to a press release.
The conference will be held at the Kaua‘i Hilton Hotel, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
In 2005, the first conference, titled “Na Keiki Aloha O Na ‘Ohana,” was the result of efforts by five community organizations: Agency on Elderly Affairs, Child and Family Service, Queen Lili‘uokalani Children’s Center, Good Beginnings, and Alu Like.
Today in Hawai‘i there are over 20,000 relative caregivers raising children, including many grandparents, aunties, uncles, neighbors, and relative foster parents, all serving as a primary caregivers for children.
Queen Liliuokalani Children’s Center Director Kaui Castillo and Aging and Elderly Affairs Director Kealoha Takahashi are leading the way to organize this event.
Schools report growing numbers of families that need support services, especially these families who are often without any.
“One of our goals is to support families caring for their loved ones, this includes our keiki,” Takahashi said in the release, adding that he hopes the conference provides a first step in linking families with services and support that can help them in their situation. “Island wide support group meetings, counseling services, are all available to our ‘ohana caregivers.”
Child and Family Service, through partnerships with Queen Liliuokalani Children’s Center and the Agency on Elderly Affairs, has offered support services to families on Kaua‘i for the past eight years. Support group meetings are held monthly at family centers: Nana’s House in Waimea, Hale Hoomalu in Kapa‘a and Queen Lili‘uokalani Children’s Center in Lihu‘e. Besides monthly meetings, families are offered respite services, personal counseling, and personal case management support.
The conference will kick off with guest speakers Attorney Michael Ratcliffe from Senior Law Center, who will address legal issues, and Hawai‘i Recording Artist Na Hoku Hanohano Award winner “Brother Noland” Conjugacion with “Values of Aloha.”
The upcoming conference is free to all caregivers raising keiki. A resource fair of local service providers will be held on site throughout the conference to allow attendees to ask questions and connect with needed services that can potentially help them in their role.
Teachers, school counselors, and anyone in the community working with families is also encouraged to attend for fee of $15 per person that includes lunch and conference. Pre-registration is requested by Oct. 30. For more information or to register, contact Queen Lili‘uokalani Children’s Center at 245-1873.
