Comment on FR Doc # 2026-11366

We are writing in support of the “Proposed Waiver and Extension of the Project Period with Funding for Elementary and Secondary Education, as Amended, Title VI, Part B, Native Hawaiian Education.” This proposal will ensure that essential educational programming for children in Hawaii will continue without disruptions, and we urge the Department of Education to move quickly to preserve program continuity, prevent gaps or delays in services, and avoid program closures. Four of Partners in Development Foundation’s programs have received awards in FY2023 and would be eligible for the extension: S362A230015 S362A230003 S362A230075 S362A230081 Established in 1997, Partners in Development Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that inspires and equips families and communities for success and service, using timeless Native Hawaiian values and traditions. PIDF has a strong record of managing complex, multi-year federal and state grants with measurable results in early childhood education, family engagement, and youth justice. PIDF continues to step to the frontline to meet the ever-changing needs of our low-income, remote, and rural families and communities. Through the assistance of the federal Native Hawaiian Education Program, PIDF has been able to scale our programs to serve over 171,000 people in over 75 communities across Hawaiʻi. An additional year of support from the Native Hawaiian Education Program (NHEP) will allow our programs to continue serving thousands of Hawaiʻi’s children, youth, and families. PIDF’s services are intentionally focused where needs are greatest, addressing persistent challenges in access, equity, and the social determinants of health. Beyond early learning, our traveling preschools and youth-centered programming function as integrated community hubs connecting families to resources in a supportive environment where youth, parents, and guardians are heard and valued. These programs also sustain a skilled workforce of early learning educators and family support professionals, many of whom are from the very communities they serve, creating meaningful employment pathways. Without coordinated action, Hawaiʻi faces a sharp contraction in services supported by the Native Hawaiian Education Program (NHEP), affecting $46 million in funding across 74 organizations, including approximately $20 million that supports early childhood education statewide. For PIDF, a potential $15 million federal funding gap would result in widespread closures of Tūtū and Me and Ka Paʻalana early learning sites, community schools and youth workforce development, causing the loss of trusted educators, mentors, and family support relationships; widening kindergarten readiness and youth opportunity gaps in rural and low-income communities; increased stress on families; and the erosion of culturally grounded education pathways. Taken together, this shortfall represents a significant structural vulnerability in Hawaiʻi’s early learning and family education support ecosystem. Thank you for your time and consideration.