Preschool Open Doors Program Accepting Applications for Tuition Assistance

Preschool Open Doors Program Accepting Applications for Tuition Assistance

The Preschool Open Doors (POD) program is accepting applications from families needing preschool tuition assistance. Applications for the 2019-2020 POD year are being accepted October 1- October 31, 2019. Applications must be received by October 31, 2019 at the Oahu POD office at 560 North Nimitz Highway, Suite 218, Honolulu, HI, 96817 or via fax (808) 694-3066 or email at PODAdmin@patch-hi.org to be considered for preschool participation during the period of January 1, 2020 through June 30, 2020.

Here in the islands, the cost of preschool and child care is often out of reach for many families, especially for families on a tight budget. With the assistance of over $11 million in subsidies in the 2019 to 2020 POD year, the Preschool Open Doors program can help eligible families pay for preschool and help keiki gain essential skills to be successful in school and in life.

The POD program is operated by People Attentive To Children (PATCH) on behalf of the State of Hawaii Department of Human Services (DHS). POD helps qualifying low- and moderate-income families send their children to preschool by providing child care subsidies to the family. Priority is given to children with special needs or at-risk factors. Household size and monthly gross income are also used to determine priority enrollments. Eligible families are encouraged to apply.

Families with children born between August 1, 2014 and July 31, 2015 may apply for POD program participation during the January 1, 2020 through June 30, 2020 POD year.

Applications are available for download from the PATCH website: www.patchhawaii.org. You can also call (808) 791-2130 on Oahu, or 1-800-746-5620 Toll-Free from Neighbor Islands to request an application by mail.
PATCH is a Hawaii nonprofit whose mission is to support and improve the quality and availability of care for the young people of Hawaii.