Hānaiaulu Childcare Center
“Hānai i nā keiki e ulu ka lahui.”
Nurture our children and our families will thrive.
“O ke kahua ma mua ma hope ke kūkulu.”
Build upon a firm foundation.
Ke Kula Kamaliʻi ʻo Hānaiaulu is a Hawaiian immersion childcare center, catered specifically to student parents and their success in their collegiate journey. It is our pleasure to announce that we now provide our services to faculty, staff and the community. We pride ourselves on our quality service of early childhood education in a Hawaiian language medium.
Nuʻukia – Vision
The vision of Hānaiaulu is to serve students, families and our community as a whole through Hawaiian language immersion and culture-based early childhood education and care in order to increase graduation rates at Windward Community College, as well as perpetuate the continuation of Hawaiian language and culture in the homes and lives of our families through quality early childhood care and education of our children.
Ala Nuʻukia – Mission
Our Mission at Ke Kula Kamaliʻi ʻo Hānaiaulu is to foster a learning environment that will enhance the growth and development of every child through language and culture while creating a safe and nurturing space.
Eligibility
Children must be between the ages of 6 months to 3 years old.
Ke Kula Kamaliʻi ʻo Hānaiaulu welcomes children and families who value Hawaiian language and culture and are committed to supporting their child’s participation in a Hawaiian language learning environment.
Requirements
Families are encouraged to support the use of ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi through participation in program activities, communication, and language-learning opportunities offered by the school.
Priority
Enrollment priority is given to full-time students attending Windward Community College, with additional consideration provided to students who are Pell Grant eligible. Following Windward Community College student enrollment, priority is extended to Windward Community College faculty and staff. Following that priority will then be given to students parents, faculty and staff from any of the other University of Hawaiʻi System campuses. Any remaining openings are then made available to members of the broader community.
Find out more
If you are interested in child care at Ke Kula Kamaliʻi ʻo Hānaiaulu, please fill out the interest form
Kirsten Freeman
Hānaiaulu Childcare Center Director
kirstenr@hawaii.edu
808-462-4799
Hānaiaulu Childcare Center
Mon–Fri, 7:45 am–4:30 pm
808-462-4798
A Short History
Ke Kula Kamaliʻi ʻo Hānaiaulu was established through the collaborative efforts of Windward Community College, Chancellor, Dr. Ardis Eschenberg, student parents, faculty, and staff who recognized the need for quality childcare to support student success. Through an AAUW Campus Action Grant, student parents helped conduct a survey that identified childcare as a major barrier to college completion. Using the results, college leaders developed an action plan and secured U.S. Department of Education Title III Native Hawaiian Serving Institution funding to renovate Hale ʻĀkoakoa and create the childcare center.
Groundbreaking for the project took place in 2017, construction was completed and the center officially opened to serve infants and toddlers in 2019. Hānaiaulu was founded as a Hawaiian language immersion childcare center with the mission of supporting student parents while perpetuating Hawaiian language and culture through high-quality early childhood education. Today, the center serves students, families, faculty, staff, and the broader community.
