Early childhood education and care for Native Hawaiian children in Hawai‘i: a brief history

Abstract

This study provides a brief overview of the history of early childhood education and care for Native Hawaiian children in Hawai‘i. Data sources include a literature review, examination of archival documents, and interviews with a sample of Native Hawaiian parents and community members. We trace the emergence of outside-the-home early childhood education and care back to the Protestant missionaries who arrived in Hawai‘i in the early 1800s, and demonstrate how the tools of colonisation have worked over time to position centre-based care as the ‘Gold Standard’ for all children, based on a deficit view of indigenous families and communities. Documenting some of the past and current efforts to promote and support culture-based education and care options in Hawai‘i, we argue that families in diverse communities may benefit more from having options that fit with their cultural views and values.