Access to Early Childhood Education and Care in Hawaiʻi

Explore the density, cost, and quality of ECE seats in communities across the state.

This website uses maps to tell the story of Hawaiʻi's early care and education (ECE) landscape.

Where are ECE
seats located?

Are there
enough seats?

Are they
affordable?

Are they of high
quality?

Affordable, conveniently located, and high-quality early childhood care and education (ECE) supports the well-being of children, families, and communities. Working parents need child care, while strong ECE programs give young children a solid foundation for healthy development and lifelong learning.

The equitable deployment of ECE resources requires an accurate understanding of which communities have the greatest unmet needs. This site provides highly localized data to inform the planning and strategic expansion of ECE services. Policymakers, advocates, and ECE providers are among the intended users.

Customizable maps include data on:

ECE seat density, cost burden, and quality
ECE provider locations and capacity
Young child population and community characteristics

Users can see how ECE access varies by age group, commuting distance/time, geographic location, and community characteristics. Users can also choose a wider (census tract) or micro (housing lot) view.

Data Highlights

ECE access within a 5-mile drive from home

9.4 children age 0–2 per infant-toddler seat
1.5 children age 3–4 per preschool-age seat

Typical cost is 10.6% of
area median family income

55.5% of seats are in programs
likely to be of high quality.