She visited the preschool next to Princess Nahienaena Elementary School for about a half-hour as part of her tour of west side sites. The Lahaina Head Start site, the only preschool to survive the fires, reopened Feb. 1 after cleanup and renovations.

She met with a child, who explained that he was living in a hotel. His family, like most of the children enrolled so far, were displaced by the fires and residing in hotels.

In addition to interacting with the children, Hirono spoke with MEO CEO Debbie Cabebe and Early Childhood Services Director Debbi Amaral about staffing challenges and other issues and expressed her support for Head Start.

MEO has openings for lead teachers, teacher aides and case managers at Maui classrooms in Kahului, Wailuku, Haiku and Makawao. For more information, call (808) 243-4310, email hr@meoinc.org or go to www.meoinc.org (and click on the “Careers” tab) to fill out an application.

U.S. Sen Mazie Hirono poses for a photo with the children at the MEO Lahaina Head Start site.

Currently, Head Start Lahaina has openings for 3 and 4 year olds and is licensed for 20 children. Many pre-wildfire students and their families relocated to other parts of the island – and some to other Head Start sites – as well as off-island.

The federally funded program provides comprehensive early childhood education services to families that meet federal poverty income guidelines and selection criteria. Preference is given to foster and homeless children.

For more information, visit the MEO Head Start office, 99 Mahalani St., Wailuku, from 7:15 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday, except on federal and state holidays, or call (808) 249-2988.

ABOUT MAUI ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY

Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc., is a nonprofit agency that’s part of the national Community Action Partnership network, whose goal is to help low income individuals and families and disenfranchised people help themselves and transform their lives. Chartered in 1965, MEO offers more than 40 programs that assist low income people, kupuna, youths, persons with disabilities, immigrants and other disenfranchised individuals countywide. MEO runs the Human Services specialized transportation program for health and dialysis appointments, after-school and youth sports activities and more; and the Maui Bus paratransit system; Head Start preschools and Kahi Kamali’i Infant Care Center; as well as programs that offer kupuna socialization and information; rent, mortgage and utility assistance; Spanish interpretation and translation; entrepreneurial and financial classes and support, including microloans; inmate reintegration into the community after release; youth drinking, drug, smoking, bullying and suicide prevention; and employment training and placement. For more information about the entire array of programs, visit meoinc.org or call (808) 249-2990.

During a visit to the MEO Head Start Lahaina site, U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono (right) speaks with MEO CEO Debbie Cabebe.