• On Aug. 17, 2023, FNS approved Hawaii Child Nutrition Programs (HCNP) request for flexibilities relating to child nutrition program operations impacted by wildfires that began on Aug. 8, 2023. The flexibilities allow meals and snacks served through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), and Seamless Summer Option (SSO) to be reimbursed even if meal pattern requirements are not fully met. Sites that are operating Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) may operate a meal service without milk during the emergency period, and the state is encouraged to prioritize technical assistance when meal pattern requirements cannot be met. Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) operators are granted similar flexibility and may also utilize emergency procurement flexibilities at 2 CFR 200.320, which allow a noncompetitive procurement method when a “public exigency or emergency” prevents competitive procurement. These flexibilities are available to affected program operators on the islands of Maui and Hawaii through Oct. 31, 2023. FNS expects that flexibilities and exceptions provided will only be implemented by program operators when meal service is limited or negatively impacted due to the ongoing natural disasters and recovery efforts.
• On Aug. 11, 2023, FNS approved Hawaii HCNP request for waivers relating to child nutrition programs impacted by the wildfires on the island of Maui. Under the waiver approval, program operators of the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program along with sponsoring organizations and independent centers of the Child and Adult Care Food Program on the islands of Maui and Hawaii may serve meals in a non-congregate setting, allow parent pick-up, adjust the time of meal service, are not required to include an enrichment or educational activity, and are not required to use offer versus serve. Additionally, the Summer Food Service Program and Seamless Summer Option may serve meals in a non-congregate setting, adjust the time of meal service, allow parent pick up, and serve meals at school sites due to the unanticipated closures. These waivers in effect through Oct. 31, 2023, or until students return to in-person instruction.

Financial Assistance Benefits for Families with Children

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is a federal and state funded grant program run by the Department of Human Services (DHS), Benefit, Employment and Support Services Division (BESSD). The program was first implemented in 1997 as the result of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or TANF Program is a federal funded block grant program.  A primary eligibility requirement to receive TANF funds is U.S. citizenship. TANF funding is limited to U.S. citizens, single or two-parent households with minor dependent children. These program requirements are in accordance with the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-193) (Welfare Reform).  Prior to Welfare Reform, the Aid for Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) did not distinguish between citizen or non-citizen or single or two-parent households.

There are four (4) TANF purposes:

TANF Purpose 1: “To provide assistance to needy families so that children may be cared for in their own homes or in the homes of relatives.”

• Direct cash assistance payments to families • Self-sufficiency program • Income disregard • Financial counseling
All programs are subject to established eligibility criteria that will be explained to you by a DHS worker.

TANF Purpose 2: “To end the dependence of parents on government assistance benefits by promoting job preparation, work and marriage.”

TANF applicants and recipients are referred to the Department’s First-To-Work (FTW) program to prepare for financial independence. An assigned FTW case manager will help you reach your employment goal with any of the following activities and supportive services:
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• Job search and job preparedness • Subsidized / Unsubsidized employment • Preparation for GED or high school equivalency • Job skills training • On-the-job training
• Domestic violence advocacy services • Ongoing counseling and supportt • Supportive services: • Child care subsidies • Transportation assistancet • Work- and education-related expenses

TANF Purpose 3: “To prevent and reduce out-of-wedlock pregnancies.”

DHS has partnered with a variety of community-based agencies to provide Hawaii families with programs designed to help prevent teen and out-of-wedlock pregnancies. These programs include:
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• After-school programs • Youth abstinence and pregnancy prevention programs • Positive youth development programs • Youth mentoring services

TANF Purpose 4: “To encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families.”

Programs provided by DHS and community-based agencies that teach the skills necessary to build strong families. Services include:
• Fatherhood services • Family strengthening programs • Marriage / Couples counseling • Parenting skills • Home-based parenting and family counseling

WHERE TO APPLY?

‍You may apply for TANF financial assistance benefits at a DHS Processing Center. For a list of centers, please visit the DHS website here. Maui County processing Centers are: 

Maui Processing Center
State Building
54 High St. #125
Wailuku, HI 96793
Fax: 808-984-8333
Email: MauiPC@dhs.hawaii.gov

Lunalilo Building – Lobby remains closed until further notice
35 Lunalilo St., Suite 300
Wailuku, HI 96793
Fax: 808-243-5114
Email: MauiPC@dhs.hawaii.gov

To reach our Statewide Branch Support Desk, please dial toll free: 1-855-643-1643. You may also call the Public Assistance Information Line at 1-855-643-1643.

You may apply for assistance online through the Public Assistance Information System (PAIS) here.

Have you been impacted by the wildfires on Maui? Call the Public Assistance Information Line (PAIS), a nation-wide toll-free number (1-855-643-1643) available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day for information on their programs.

BESSD is the largest division in the Department of Human Services. Staff and administrators provide a continuum of services, through nine programs that serve different populations, aimed at providing clients with monthly benefits to assist them with such essentials as food, shelter, and child care, as well as employment support and work-training and dependency diversion and prevention.  

The PAIS website https://pais.dhs.hawaii.gov is accessible 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. They both provide basic information on a variety of assistance programs offered through the Department of Human Services:

• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Temporary Assistance for Other Needy Families (TAONF)  TANF Brochure (REV 04-2022)
• First-To-Work (FTW)
• Employment and Training (E&T)
• Child Care Program Office
• General Assistance (GA)
• Aid to the Aged, Blind, and Disabled (AABD)
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – formerly known as the Food Stamp Program
• Hawaii Financial and Food Stamp Benefits Rights and Responsibilities
• Hawaii Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Program
• Homeless Programs (HP) & Information
• Low Income Home Energy Assistance program (LIHEAP)

For a step-by-step guide to accessing PAIS, read this informational brochure.

Department of Human Services Public Assistance Information System includes many services:

For information about the Department of Human Services, please visit:
State of Hawaii Department of Human Services

For information about DHS Benefit, Employment and Support Services Division (BESSD) including SNAP and Financial Assistance, please visit:
State of Hawaii Department of Human Services, Benefit, Employment and Support Services Division Website

For information about DHS Medical Assistance Programs, also called QUEST Integration, Fee-for-Service, Long Term Care, please visit:
State of Hawaii Department of Human Services, Med-QUEST Division Website

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), is a federally funded program which provides Hawaii residents with nourishing supplemental foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding promotion and health and social service referrals. The participants of WIC are either pregnant, breastfeeding, or postpartum women, and infants and children under age five who meet income guidelines and have a medical or nutritional risk.

Click here to apply to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC)

• On Aug. 18, 2023, FNS approved the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) request for flexibility with the maximum monthly allowance (MMA) requirements in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infant, and Children (WIC). The waiver approval allows infant formula substitutions for contract brand infant formula as stated in the approval letter. This waiver is in effect through Oct. 31, 2023, or 60 days after the end of the Emergency Declaration, whichever is sooner.
• On Aug. 18, 2023, FNS approved the Hawaii DOH request for flexibility with the requirement for on-site visits prior to a vendor’s initial authorization in WIC. The waiver approval allows the state agency to authorize the stores necessary to ensure continued participant access to supplemental foods. This waiver is in effect through Oct. 31, 2023, or 60 days after the end of the Emergency Declaration, whichever is sooner.
• On Aug. 14, 2023, FNS approved the Hawaii DOH request for flexibility with the MMA requirements in WIC. The waiver approval allows substitutions as stated in the approval letter of portion sizes of eggs, tofu, whole wheat/whole grain bread, juice and breakfast cereal. This waiver is in effect through Oct. 31, 2023, or 60 days after the end of the Emergency Declaration, whichever is sooner.
• On August 14, 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) approved the State of Hawai‘i’s request to waive the standard, 10-day timely reporting requirement for food loss under SNAP for households in seven zip codes in Maui and Hawai‘i Counties that were affected by power outages beginning on August 8, 2023: 96743, 96753, 96755, 96761, 96768, 96788, and 96790.   This waiver allows affected households in these zip codes to request replacement of their SNAP benefits through September 15, 2023. Replacement SNAP benefits will allow affected households to replace food purchased with SNAP benefits that was lost because of power outages.

If you’ve been affected by the Maui wildfires, the Kāko‘o Maui Relief & Aid Services Center is here for you. This resource hub will provide a collaborative and cultural approach to help those impacted by the wildfires access direct aid and services.

Service Providers at the Resource Center

The hub will host both non-profit service providers and representatives from various agencies, on a rotating basis (updated Sept 8):

Imua Family Services – Provides quality care and community through keiki educational programs and other services focusing on Maui, Moloka‘i and Lāna‘i.

Hawai‘i Community Lending – Nonprofit mortgage lender, helping local and Hawaiian families. Currently running a Kanaka Anti-Displacement Fund to support the Native Hawaiian population facing challenges such as the Maui wildfire disaster.

Hawaiian Community Assets – Provides financial education, grants and loans. Operates Financial Opportunity Centers across the state.

Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation- Represents Native Hawaiian cultural practitioners, families and communities with various legal matters.

Legal Aid Society of Hawai‘i – Public interest, non-profit law firm dedicated to achieving fairness and justice through legal advocacy, outreach, and education for those in need.

Papa Ola Lōkahi – 501(c)(3) that embodies a holistic approach that brings together mind, body and spirit in the pursuit of optimum health and well-being for Native Hawaiians.

For more information, go to hawaiiancouncil.org/helpmaui/mauiresources

The hub is located at Maui Mall, between TJ Maxx and Subway. Entrance is on the street side facing Burger King: 
‍70 E. Kaahumanu Avenue, Kahului, HI 96732

The Kāko‘o Maui Relief & Aid Services Center is located at Maui Mall daily 10am to 6pm.

A list of child care options for families affected by the fires in Maui is now available.  PATCH, the state’s designated Child Care Resource & Referral Agency, worked with licensed and registered providers to determine who is still operating and providing care.

List of Available Child Care Options for Maui families affected by the recent fires

This list is being updated on a regular basis.  It contains contact information, ages the program accepts, address, city (for Family Child Care providers), and phone number.  Parents can call PATCH’s referral lines for further assistance at (808) 961-3169.

If licensed or registered providers are willing to provide care for keiki on Maui, they can contact PATCH to be placed on the list.

Feel free to use the QR code or the link located above to access child care providers who have openings for children of impacted families.

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Mana Mental Health is offering FREE individual counseling sessions for mamas who are pregnant or postpartum with Dr. Kalena Lanuza, Family & Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner & Certified Lactation Counselor.

Services: Counseling, Medication Management, Lactation Counseling. Call or Email. 971-251-2081.

**All sessions virtual or by phone-all islands**.

OFFER support or post a NEED for support or services in this local community disaster relief Facebook page. The purpose of this group is where we can have a "go to" hub to locally exchange information of supplies/help *needed* and services and help we can *offer* due to disasters on Maui.

This group will only help with YOUR help. Please SHARE this group. Invite people. Etc. Let's help our friends and families get their lives back!

✔️1. If you have something to *OFFER* (manpower, supplies, services, clean up, food, transportation, housing, etc) please start your post in ALL CAPS saying *OFFER*

✔️2. If you are in *NEED* of something (specific supplies, manpower, services, food, transportation, housing, etc) please start your post in ALL CAPS saying *NEED*.

✔️3. If you have an announcement of volunteer opportunities, meetings, new developments on Maui regarding the fire, legit donation websites, etc. Please start your post in ALL CAPS saying *ANNOUNCEMENT*

PLEASE try to keep to these categories so we can use this group to be as effective and helpful as possible

Please keep in mind whenever DONATING to ANY cause, please only donate items in clean, unstained, smell free and working conditions. It is disrespectful to think that anyone would want stained, smelly or broken items.

Displaced mothers/caregivers/families with small children. The Pacific Birth Collective is routing donations directly to displaced families.

Please fill out this PBC Displaced Families Direct Relief Support form with your clothing, pre- and postpartum, diapering, and feeding needs.

If you or your friends cannot access the form, please text your needs directly to (808) 283-9646. Include your name, ages of children, specific needs, contact info, and address for delivery.This form is NOT mandatory to recieve goods, it is helping us to know what is needed, what sizes, formula types and if you'll need delivery etc. You are welcome to drop by in person at our Haiku distribution center and pick up what you need there as well.

If you are impacted, contact pacificbirthcollective@gmail.com or find us on social media @pacificbirthcollective or our PBC Facebook page to get connected with emergency supplies and additional resources.  We are a grass roots, boots on ground organization based in Maui.  All funds go directly to relief efforts.

List of Child Care Options for Maui families affected by the recent fires

Our hearts go out to the people of Maui who have been impacted by these tragic fires.

A list of child care options for families affected by the fires in Maui is now available.  PATCH, the state’s designated Child Care Resource & Referral Agency, worked with licensed and registered providers to determine who is still operating and providing care.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pT5Kz4bH8S4rEjulNMVCZcV_gfAOkNhg0it_2_eoqzM/edit?usp=sharing

This list is being updated on a regular basis.  It contains contact information, ages the program accepts, address, city (for Family Child Care providers), and phone number.  Parents can call PATCH’s referral lines for further assistance at (808) 961-3169.

If licensed or registered providers are willing to provide care for keiki on Maui, they can contact PATCH to be placed on the list.

Feel free to use the QR code or the link located above to access child care providers who have openings for children of impacted families.