Mālama ‘Ohana Working Group

Transformational Change to the Child Welfare System

On June 14, 2023, Act 86 was signed into law by Governor Green signifying the State’s commitment to uplift the voices of ‘ohana and keiki affected by the child welfare system. Through OWR, the Mālama ‘Ohana Working Group (MOWG) brought community partners together to improve and transform the child welfare system. Uplifting the voices of parents and youth with lived experience, building collaboration between community and state and deep listening are critical components for authentic transformation in our approach to support some of our most vulnerable families and children.

The MOWG held its first meeting in September 2023 and continued into 2024, holding 24 official meetings, including 11 community listening sessions across the state. The MOWG also created six Permitted Interaction Groups to further investigate specific topics including Keiki & ‘Ōpio (Children & Youth), Mākua & ʻOhana (Parents & Family), Lawe Hānai (Caregivers), Hui Kaiāulu (Community Supports), Hui Hoʻopūlama (System Supports), and Kanaka & Poʻe Pasifika (Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders).

The working group is comprised of 17 members including youth, kin, and resource caregivers with lived experience and representatives from EPIC ʻOhana, Hale Kipa, Department of Human Services, Kamehameha Schools, Office of Hawaiian Affairs and Lili‘uokalani Trust.

To see all of the Mālama ‘Ohana Working Group recommendations, view their report here.

To learn more, visit malamaohana.net.