Several months after nonprofit Partners in Development Foundation prepared to close five early childhood education sites on Hawaii Island — and 16 on other islands — due to federal funding cuts, the organization recently announced the sites will now be staying open.

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Several months after nonprofit Partners in Development Foundation prepared to close five early childhood education sites on Hawaii Island — and 16 on other islands — due to federal funding cuts, the organization recently announced the sites will now be staying open.

The announcement comes after U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz secured $46 million in May for the U.S. Department of Education’s Native Hawaiian Education Program, which faced significant cuts earlier this year.

PIDF, which runs the Tutu and Me traveling preschool and Ka Pa‘alana Family Education Program and other programs at sites statewide, relies in large part on federal grants to operate. The organization banded together with several other impacted organizations to advocate for the funding, which will allow these programs to continue to run at over 60 locations for another year.

Kasey Popken, who is the project director for the Ka Pa‘alana program, said the news was met with relief from the hundreds of families who would have been impacted by the closures.

“It has been complete and utter joy, a really positive, happy response,” she said. “Our families and our community came together to help us fight this fight and to help us surf this uncertainty, and so that was a testament, I think, to how much they love the services and the people who serve within our programs.”

PIDF’s programs emphasize integrated, community-focused education by allowing caregivers to attend classes along with children and connecting participants with other resources and support.

“It’s not just the educational services and the access to early childhood (education) and the ability to learn alongside your child, but I think it’s the relationships that you build, the friendships you build with the kumu and the staff and the resources that you acquire when you are getting provided services from this program,” Popken said.

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She said she feels PIDF provides unique and critical services to many Hawaii communities.

“I think why we’re so critical is because we understand how important it is to work with the entire village to help raise the keiki in our communities to be successful and healthy and resilient and intelligent and confident and really feel empowered by the people that stand behind them, and we are so blessed to be a part of that.”

She said that while she is grateful federal money for PIDF’s programs has come through, the situation also pushed the organization to reevaluate its funding model and explore additional opportunities.

“When we knew that there was a lot of uncertainty with federal funding, we got to work and we reached out to private funders, state funders, and just sort of shared the uncertain times that we were in and looking to diversify our funding sources …,” she said. “So, we’ve been able to get some private, some state funding … .”

While the future of federal funding for the PIDF and other NHEP programs beyond the next year remains uncertain, Popken said she is confident the organization will continue finding ways to serve and meet the needs of local communities.

“It’s hard to say exactly what the future looks like,” she said. “I do know this: I know that no matter what funding looks like … I know our families will continue to be served, and I know that in some way, shape or form, the services we provide will continue because I know it’s a necessity, I know it’s critical, and I know that our community and our families and our staff will fight for it.”

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Email Grace Inez Adams at [email protected].