New report shows significant increase in keiki poverty in Hawaii

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A new national report is raising the alarm about a sharp rise in Hawaii children living in poverty.

The report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation shows child poverty has risen by one-third since the pandemic.

Nicole Woo, director of research and economic policy at the Hawaii Children’s Action Network, said the increase amounts to about 8,000 more children now living in poverty.

“One of the main reasons for this increase in child poverty is the loss of pandemic supports the federal stimulus and the child tax credit,” Woo said. “Without those kinds of financial supports, families are falling back into poverty in Hawaii and across the country.”

The report also found that without current programs like food assistance, rental aid and tax credits, the number of children in poverty would more than double from about 37,000 to 84,000, or one in four keiki statewide.

“Parents are struggling between paying for food, paying for rent and all those crucial things that keiki need to thrive,” Woo said.

That includes families like Mia Hall’s. The military spouse and family engagement specialist says her household falls under what Aloha United Way calls an ALICE family: asset limited, income constrained, yet employed.

She says the ongoing government shutdown has made life even harder.

“We do live paycheck to paycheck, which is true for a lot of families in Hawaii,” Hall said. “I have a second part-time job, but it’s still not enough to make up for the loss we’d experience if my husband didn’t get paid.”

Hall says the shutdown also disrupted care for her son, who has autism and Tourette’s syndrome.

“They just cut off all the therapies for my son, his occupational therapy, his physical therapy everything he needs,” she said.

The Hawaii Children’s Action Network encourages families in need to visit hawaiifoodhelp.com, which connects residents to programs such as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), WIC (Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children), and free school meals.

Copyright 2025 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.