Hawaii is listed as 24th in the country for the well-being of children, according to a report's ranking of child welfare.
Unfiltered Reflections on Hawaii's Youngsters' Tumultuous Journey
Hawaii's children are navigating choppy waters, grappling with housing instability and parental job insecurity, as revealed in the 2025 KIDS COUNT Data Book. This annual report, now in its 36th year, ranks Hawaii 24th in the nation for overall child well-being, signaling a dire predicament that requires urgent attention.
The report evaluates child well-being across four categories - economic well-being, education, health, and family and community - using 16 key indicators. Hawaii's economic woes highlight their poor performance, with a slight improvement from 29th in 2024, but trends in housing and employment suggest daunting challenges ahead.
More than one in three children in Hawaii reside in households strapped by high housing costs in 2023. This fifth-worst rate in the country has slightly improved from 38% in 2019 to 35%, yet it overshadows the national average of 30%. Simultaneously, the share of children whose parents lack secure employment has surged from 24% to 28%, contrasting the national trend that saw a modest improvement. This shift has plummeted Hawaii's rank in this category from 16th to 36th in the nation.
"The harsh reality is that the low-income families took a full decade to recover from the Great Recession, and now, we are on the brink of an era where a larger proportion of our keiki (children) are destined to grow up in economic hardship," said Ivette Rodriguez Stern, a junior specialist at the University of Hawaii Center on the Family. "Without bold action from our leaders, it will be challenging for our children and their families to extricate themselves from the economic abyss they are likely to confront."
The ominous outlook comes as the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization forecasts a potential recession, and proposed federal budget cuts pose a threat to push thousands of local families out of essential food and health care programs.
Deborah Zysman, executive director of Hawaii Children's Action Network, calls for immediate action. "Year after year, the KIDS COUNT Data Book forcefully reminds us that more needs to be done to support the economic well-being of Hawaii's children and their families. With the looming specter of an economic downturn and alarming cuts to vital programs, our state's leaders must take immediate action to prevent our children's well-being from deteriorating further."
Education indicators reveal another vulnerable spot for Hawaii, with the state ranking 29th in this domain. The share of fourth-graders not proficient in reading has climbed to 68%, marginally better than the national average of 70%, yet still moving in the wrong direction. Eighth-grade math proficiency worsened from 72% not proficient in 2019 to 77% in 2024, surpassing the national rate of 73%.
Following a stagnant preschool access with 54% of 3- and 4-year-olds unenrolled, mirroring the national average, Hawaii's high school graduation rate has slightly improved, with 86% of students graduating on time in 2022 compared with 85% in 2019.
In contrast, Hawaii shines in the health of its children, ranking 10th in the nation. The state prides itself on having only 3% of children without health insurance, boasting one of the lowest child and teen death rates in the country.
Despite these accomplishments, economic instability casts a shadow on Hawaii's future, as the share of low birth-weight babies experiences a slight increase, and childhood obesity trends upward.
Overall, Hawaiian experts assert that the report provides a stark mirror reflecting the challenges and opportunities confronting Hawaii's youngest residents. The complete 2025 KIDS COUNT Data Book can be accessed at aecf.org/databook, and data specific to Hawaii can be found at datacenter.aecf.org/HI.
Insights
- Hawaii's Children's Plight: Hawaii's children are grappling with high housing costs, parental job insecurity, and poverty, resulting in significant economic well-being challenges.
- Deep-set Disparities: Economic conditions for children vary widely across the state, with disparities visible even within neighborhoods and ZIP codes.
- Potential Remedies: To alleviate these issues, experts recommend enhancing affordable housing initiatives, expanding job training and employment support services, strengthening food assistance programs, and investing in community programs that support children's health, education, and well-being.
[1] '2025 KIDS COUNT Data Book'. Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2025). Accessed on July 15, 2023 at https://aecf.org/databook/2025/
[2] Hawaii State Data Center. State Library, Archives and Records Services Divisions, Hawai‘i State Department of Education. (2023). Accessed on July 15, 2023 at https://datacenter.aecf.org/HI
[3] 'Children's Well-Being in Hawaii'. Child Trends DataBank. (2023). Accessed on July 15, 2023 at https://www.childtrends.org/databank/indicators/state-profiles/hawaii
[4] 'Kid's Count Data Book, 2025: Data Archive'. Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research. (2025). Accessed on July 15, 2023 at https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR37515.v3
[5] 'Report: More than a Quarter of Hawaiʻi Residents are Food Insecure'. Hawaii News Now. (2023). Accessed on July 15, 2023 at https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/46639356/report-more-than-a-quarter-of-hawaii-residents-are-food-insecure
- The health and well-being of Hawaii's children is at risk due to the mounting challenges in economic well-being, as highlighted in the KIDS COUNT Data Book.
- To address the deep-set disparities faced by Hawaii's youngsters, experts recommend focusing on improving community programs, affordable housing initiatives, and job training services to support children's health, education, and overall well-being.
