“It’s Always Different”: 5 Child Care Providers Share Their Challenges and Joys
They spend long days teaching, cooking, cleaning and comforting keiki. And please don’t call it “babysitting.”
Noelle Fujii-Oride
Noelle Fujii-Oride writes about affordable housing, working families, education, construction, climate change, tourism, entrepreneurship and more. She also leads the editorial department’s audience engagement efforts. Prior to joining Hawaii Business Magazine as a staff writer in 2017, she held internships at the magazine, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and Honolulu Civil Beat. She is a graduate of UH Mānoa’s journalism program and now lives on Kaua‘i. You can reach her at noellef@hawaiibusiness.com.
Articles
Child Care Is a Labor of Love (Translation: It Doesn’t Pay a Living Wage)
But raising those wages would squeeze tens of thousands of working Hawai‘i families dependent on child care. Here’s the problem and possible solutions.
Why We Shined a Light on Hawai‘i’s Child Care Providers
We sought to document in words and pictures the lives of five women who provide care for keiki, plus investigate what's being done to better support Hawai‘i’s child care workforce.
Could a Local Building Collapse Like the One in Florida?
Experts say what happened at the Surfside condo is unlikely to happen here. But they warn condo boards: put off maintenance projects and you’ll end up paying far more.
“Home for Sale” Sometimes Means Renters are Displaced
About 40% of Hawai‘i households are renters. Their relationships with their landlords can be friendly and supportive. But this two-part report examines when the wants and needs of tenants and landlords conflict, with perspectives from both sides.
It’s Gotten Both Worse and Better for Struggling Working Families
The good news is that seventeen Hawai‘i nonprofits are helping working families become more financially stable, find affordable housing, and get involved in policy.
Help Shape Hawaii Business Magazine’s Coverage
This survey of online readers will help determine the issues we cover.
How We Covered One Aspect of Hawai‘i’s Rental Crisis
We sought out renter and landlord voices from across the state to better understand the ways that Hawai‘i’s hot housing market is impacting rentals.
Why Rent Relief in Hawai‘i Became a National Model
The government program helped over 13,000 households. One reason it succeeded may have been that people who had experienced housing instability had a seat at the decision-making table.
ADUs Seemed Like a Simple Solution to Hawai‘i’s Housing Crisis
But the reality of building accessory dwelling units was far more complicated, leading to just a trickle of affordable units. Could regulatory changes boost the numbers?
Catholic Charities Hawai‘i Celebrates 75 Years of Helping People in Need
The social service agency serves kūpuna who live at home, immigrants, troubled youth and homeless people of all faiths and cultures.
Here’s Which Ethnic Groups Make the Most Money in Hawai‘i
Some new data is surprising, but other data confirms what has long been known about Hawai‘i’s social and economic hierarchy.
A Record Number of Hawai‘i Workers Quit Their Jobs in 2021
Here’s what local experts say is driving the exodus and why efforts to keep employees should start the day they’re hired.
Purchases of Hawai‘i Commercial Real Estate Rebounded in 2021
Resort/golf course sales and vacant land sales each totaled almost a billion dollars, according to a year-end report from Colliers Hawaii. About half of the purchase volume was made by Hawai‘i-based investors.
The Gender Pay Gap Had Narrowed in Hawai‘i. Then the Pandemic Arrived.
In 2019, women earned almost 90% of what men did. But recent hits to women’s earnings may have set back that progress.
20 for the Next 20: Kevin Matsunaga, Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School
He helped launch Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School’s student morning announcements show and digital media program.
20 for the Next 20: Courtney Kajikawa, First Hawaiian Bank
The SVP and personal trust division manager at First Hawaiian Bank serves on the Hawaii Women’s Legal Foundation board and is active with several other local organizations.
Affordable Walk-up Apartments Are Coming Back, Thanks to Honolulu’s Bill 7
Small landowners and developers can use exemptions and waivers to build new multistory rentals on small residential lots – and help ease the housing squeeze.
Here’s How Affordable Housing Policies Have Impacted Hawai‘i’s Housing Supply
This report on affordable housing policies by county governments and state agencies provides different perspectives on what works and what doesn’t – and what might work better.
Hawai‘i Pacific Health’s Ray Vara is 2021 CEO of the Year
He has led the nonprofit’s growth and improved health care for more than a decade while also focusing on the broad factors that impact the health of Hawai‘i’s people.
Inside My Reporting on Honolulu’s Rail Project
The goal was to tie together the many bits and pieces of information as Hawai‘i's largest public works project reached a crucial decision point.
Past Attempts to Build a Rail on Oʻahu
Honolulu has talked about building a rail system since 1967.
How Rail Got to $12.45 Billion and 11 Years Late
We sorted through more than a decade of cost overruns, audits and reports to explain how the price soared and why completion fell behind schedule.
How Honolulu’s Rail Compares to Other Federally Funded Projects
It’s common for rail projects to have cost overruns, but few are as large as Honolulu's.
The Three Largest Rail Contracts
We looked through the project's publicly available documents to identify the biggest contracts and how much they cost.
A Look at the Rail’s Increasing Price Tag and Pushed Back Completion Dates
We tracked some of the project's major milestones, including cost increases, funding deficits, lawsuits and voter input.
Honolulu Rail Columns Tell Stories
Engraved columns depict legends and unique elements of each station area.
New Ways to Connect with Readers
Our engagement editor will help ensure our journalism is more inclusive of and responsive to the communities we cover.
Got an Unusual or Especially Interesting Job? We Want to Hear About It
We’re looking for more careers to feature in our “My Job” series.
My Process Behind Our Story: “Grandparents Help Hawai‘i Parents Get the Job Done”
I collected stories from the community, sought out data and spoke with a variety of sources to put together this article.
Do’s and Don’ts of Using Grandparents for Child Care
Lessons learned from both grandparents and parents about navigating these relationships.
Grandparents Are Great, But They Can’t Solve All of Hawai‘i’s Child Care Needs
Hawai‘i’s high cost of living often drives the need for grandparent-provided child care. But many grandparents can’t provide care because they are still working or live on the Mainland. Here’s what else is needed.
Grandparents Help Hawai‘i Parents Get the Job Done
Grandmothers and grandfathers are storytellers, sources of wisdom, keepers of family legacies and teachers. But perhaps their most important role in Hawai‘i is to help working parents raise their keiki.
This Fresh, Local Crackseed is Handmade
Jade Food Products makes li hing mui in 500- to 1,000-pound batches.
Help Us Find Nonprofits That Have Helped Hawai‘i
We hope to speak with local nonprofits that deserve more recognition for their work. These stories will be part of our “Nonprofit with a Mission” series.
Cultural Practitioners, Advisors Help Educate Visitors About Hawai‘i’s People, Places, History and Culture
Cultural practitioners working in the tourism industry see their roles as integral to ensuring Hawaiian culture is perpetuated accurately and that visitors treat the Islands respectfully.
Volunteering on Government Boards Yields Emotional, Intellectual and Professional Rewards
Volunteer to serve on a government board or commission and you will have a say in decisions involving land use, affordable housing, taxes or other important issues.
3 Factors Shift Hawai‘i’s Real Estate into Overdrive
The pandemic has shifted Hawaiʻi's already expensive house prices into overdrive. Five, ten or more buyers sometimes compete for the same homes, turning sales into bidding wars — with cash buyers holding the edge.
Best Practices for Community Engagement
Here's advice from experts in conflict resolution and planning. It's mainly geared toward project leaders and developers, but community members may find it useful.
How to Resolve Community Conflicts
Community opposition to proposed projects is nothing new, but it seems to be more common nowadays. And more effective. To get moving on such projects, and others, Hawai‘i must work with communities that are demanding a voice in their future.
