Aloha <<First Name>>, You are warmly invited to join us at an upcoming Maui County Water Authority, Social Services, and Parks (WASSP) Committee meeting on Monday, January 26, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. (our agenda item is second and tentatively expected around 10:30 a.m.) . Link to Agenda
Hoʻoikaika Partnership will highlight our shared work to prevent child abuse and strengthen families in Maui County. In recognition of Human Trafficking Awareness Month (January), we will focus on the intersections between child abuse, child sex trafficking, ACEs, and protective factors. I will provide an overview of Hoʻoikaika Partnership’s child abuse prevention efforts, including local data and coalition activities. Cayla Kutaka, Maui Program Director at Parents And Children Together (PACT), will present on child sex trafficking prevalence, risk factors, and survivor supports in Maui County. Following the presentations, there will be an opportunity for public oral testimony (up to 3 minutes per person). Please attend in person or virtually, and to consider offering testimony about your work with Hoʻoikaika Partnership and the impact you are seeing in the community. If you are interested in serving as a designated “resource” person for the committee, please let me know and we can explore that option together. 🏪 Attending In Person Council Chamber, Kalana O Maui Building (8th Floor)
200 South High Street, Wailuku
Free two-hour parking is available around the County building. 💻 Attending Virtually If you plan to attend virtually and would like to offer oral testimony, that option is available through the same link. Your presence matters. Showing up together strengthens our collective voice and helps reinforce the importance of prevention with County leadership. We hope you’ll join us and consider sharing brief testimony about your work and its impact in Maui County.
For additional meeting details, information on human trafficking, and upcoming training opportunities, please keep reading.
Mahalo and we look forward to seeing you there! Deb Marois, Hoʻoikaika Partnership Coordinator |
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Maui County Water Authority, Social Services, and Parks (WASSP) Committee Monday, January 26, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. COURTESY LIVE CABLECAST AND WEBCAST VIEWING Akakū: Maui Community Media, Channel 53. mauicounty.us/agendas to access meeting videos. Subject to change without notice. Visit mauicounty.us for more information. Submitting Testimony |
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Sex Trafficking & Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children: Raising Awareness and Public Education are Key Components of Prevention Mahalo nui loa to our partners at Parents And Children Together (PACT) for facilitating a training session on Sex Trafficking as part of our January Hoʻoikaika Partnership meeting!
Presented by Crisis Advocate Heather Pietras and Maui Program Director Cayla Kutaka, the overview focused on understanding the legal definition and types of sex trafficking, prevalence and risk factors, recognizing the warning signs, and how to respond to suspected cases.
They also reviewed the comprehensive case management services for youth identified as victims of trafficking through Hawaii’s Trafficking Victim Assistance Program (report must be filed and confirmed). Scheduling Training with PACT
Hawaii Human Trafficking Reporting Line: National Human Trafficking Hotline: (888) 373-7888 or SMS: 233733 (Text “HELP” or “INFO”) Resources to Learn More National Human Trafficking Hotline/ Hawaii Statistics: Arizona State University Sex Trafficking Intervention & Research: Hawaii Research Studies, training materials for teens, parents, school educators, community providers, etc.
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HP Meeting Schedule
February 11: Join us on Zoom from 11:30 am - 1 pm. Look for agenda in next month's newsletter. New: Our Zoom registration process now allows you to register for multiple meetings at once. Reserve your calendar up to a year in advance! |
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Paul Tonnessen Honored with Casey Excellence for Children Award
Congratulations to HP Leadership Hui partner Paul Tonnessen who was recently honored with a 2026 Casey Excellence for Children Award in the Resource Parent category. These awards are presented annually to recognize those who have dedicated themselves to building hope and improving outcomes for children and families impacted by the child welfare system.
Each year Casey Family Programs look for foster care alumni, birth parents, kinship caregivers and resource parents who have demonstrated extraordinary efforts on behalf of those involved in child welfare.
Nominees are evaluated on the work they accomplished at the local, state or national level. Hoʻoikaika Partnership submitted the application on Paul's behalf and he and his husband Richard Carr traveled to Seattle to accept it earlier this month.
These awards are a national recognition of the accomplishments of remarkable individuals, especially those with lived experience in the child welfare system, who are working to safely reduce the need for foster care and build Communities of Hope.
The awards recognize those who have demonstrated outstanding work, exceptional leadership and unwavering dedication to improving child and family well-being in the United States.
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2026 Kalo Boy Book Orders
Hoʻoikaika Partnership needs your help to estimate how many books to print in 2026.
Contributions to the printing fund are encouraged. Fulfillment of requests will depend on availability of funding. Questions? Please contact HP Coordinator Deb Marois |
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Training & Professional Development |
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How to Talk about the Value of Voting: Connecting to Everyday Life Join The Right Question Project to learn about the "Why Vote?" Tool, a resource for engaging voters around issues that are important to them, help them identify connections between voting and public services they rely on, and encourage civic participation.
The "Why Vote?" Tool is designed to shift the dynamic from convincing people to vote to letting them name the value of voting for themselves. This session will provide you with a practical, proven framework to help community members connect the act of voting to the specific policies that impact the services they rely on every day. This webinar is designed for staff and volunteers at: Direct service agencies and community-based organizations Non-profit organizations and voter engagement efforts Public library systems Any professional working with low-income or historically marginalized communities
Can't attend live? All registrants will automatically receive the webinar recording and presentation slides via email.
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Child Abuse & Neglect (CAN) Prevention Mapping Maui Convening
Tuesday, January 27, from 1:00 - 3:30 pm. via Zoom
This session will share the draft map and talk story about the specific strengths, needs, and challenges of CAN Prevention programs in Maui County. Facilitated by Sharon A. Simms, MSW CPC, CEO of SAS Services, LLC.
The Hawaiʻi Children's Trust Fund (HCTF) in collaboration with the Hawai’i State Department of Health, Family Health Services Division, Maternal Child Health Branch, and the Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention Program, is developing a statewide map of community-based CAN Prevention Programs.
This work aims to enhance our understanding of CAN Prevention programs and services that focus on strengthening protective factors and to identify potential gaps across the State of Hawai’i. The focus of this project is mapping primary prevention programs. The mapping process consists of a survey and in-person and virtual convenings. The map will be a publicly available and may help you with referrals, program design, and collaborative opportunities in your community. Please take 30 - 45 minutes to complete this survey if your organization, programs and/or services are focused on primary prevention. This means your efforts targeting the general population are designed to promote the general welfare of children and families prior to any occurrence of abuse or neglect. Please complete the survey by Friday, January 30 Please complete one survey per program so that the geographic information is correct. Please ensure that no one else in your agency is completing the survey for your specific program. Feel free to pass this on to other primary prevention programs.
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