Hawaii Ohana Caregiver Program and Kinship Navigator Resources

Finding Help Beyond the Paperwork

Executing the affidavits and enrolling a child in school are the urgent first steps. But raising someone else's child is a long road, and Hawaii has a network of programs specifically for kinship caregivers — if you know where to find them.

The catch: most of these programs are tied to the state's formal child welfare system. Understanding which ones you can access as an informal caregiver matters.

Kinship Navigator Programs

Hawaii's Department of Human Services (DHS) funds Kinship Navigator services through Purchase of Service contracts. The current DHS directory describes the navigator as helping relative/kin resource caregivers find services, benefits, and referrals statewide.

The current directory describes resource caregivers, including relative/kin resource families, as the navigator program's target. It does not settle whether an informal caregiver outside that status can use the service or receive a dedicated caseworker; ask the provider about eligibility before relying on it.

EPIC 'Ohana

EPIC 'Ohana (Every Person Influences Children) is one of Hawaii's primary kinship support agencies, operating under DHS contracts. They provide:

• Support groups for grandparents and relative caregivers
• Training on trauma-informed caregiving
• Help navigating the foster care licensing process (if you choose that route)
• Connections to financial assistance programs

Their services are strongest for caregivers connected to the formal foster care system. For informal caregivers, EPIC 'Ohana can still point you toward community resources and support group meetings.

Family Programs Hawaii

Family Programs Hawaii administers several DHS-funded programs across the islands. Their kinship-specific services include family finding, case navigation, and connections to community support. Like EPIC 'Ohana, their deepest level of support goes to families involved with CWS — but their community events and resource directories are open to all relative caregivers.

UH CTAHR 'Ohana Caregivers

UH CTAHR's Family & Youth page lists the 'Ohana Caregivers program as inactive, though its old "Laws That Help" brochure remains online. The brochure describes relatives as needing six months of residence for both Acts 99 and 208; current HRS §§ 302A-481 and 577-28 let an adult caregiver related by blood, marriage, or adoption qualify without a waiting period. Use current statutes for eligibility; the brochure is informational, not an execution-ready form.

Catholic Charities Hawaii and Partners in Development Foundation

The current DHS FY2026 Purchase of Service Directory lists Harvest Family Life Ministries Hawaii for statewide resource-family recruitment and Catholic Charities Hawaii for statewide licensing and support services. Catholic Charities' Statewide Resource Families Program offers support to licensed resource caregivers, legal guardians, and adoptive caregivers; these descriptions do not establish eligibility for every informal caregiver.

What Informal Caregivers Can Access

If you're raising a child without a CWS case or court order, your access to formal navigator services is limited. But several resources remain open:

• Legal Aid Society of Hawaii: free legal information and caregiver affidavit templates (income-eligible caregivers can receive direct legal assistance)
• CTAHR educational materials: free brochures on consent laws
• Community support groups: many are open to all relative caregivers regardless of formal system involvement
• 211 Hawaii: dial 2-1-1 for a general referral to food assistance, housing support, and family services

The gap between what formal kinship navigators offer and what informal caregivers can access is one reason having your own organized toolkit matters. The consent affidavits, school forms, and medical paperwork won't come bundled from any single agency.

Building Your Own Support Network

The Hawaii School and Medical Consent Guide walks through the consent forms and school enrollment steps that these programs reference but don't always hand you. Pair it with the free resources above — Legal Aid for legal questions, EPIC 'Ohana or Family Programs Hawaii for community connections, and your child's school counselor for day-to-day support.

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