Bill > SB3204

This bill establishes a one-year Family Resilience Pilot Program within the Office of Wellness and Resilience, aiming to strengthen families and reduce the risk of child abuse or neglect by providing specialized support services. The program will hire and train five trauma-informed peer support resource navigators, who will each assist up to twenty families in enrolling in public benefits, parenting classes, and cultural family strengthening programs, utilizing methods like motivational interviewing. Program staff will also be trained to screen families for eligibility, particularly for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), a federal program providing cash assistance to low-income families. The pilot program will help families identify goals and connect them with community resources, including assistance with applications for public benefits, housing, education, or employment, and will offer monthly parenting classes or cultural family strengthening services through contracted providers. The Office of Wellness and Resilience may use a third-party administrator for the program and is required to report its findings and recommendations to the legislature by early 2028. The program is funded by $600,000 appropriated from TANF funds for fiscal year 2026-2027 and will be repealed on June 30, 2027.

Budget and Finance, Health and Social Services

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=3204&year=2026