Focus Hawaii Kehan Santiago Healthy Start Koolauloa

Authors

• Lance Chase
• Kehau Santiago

Files

Description

Hosted by Lance Chase, this episode of Focus Hawaii features Kehau Santiago, assistant manager of the Koʻolauloa Healthy Start Program, who explains how this nationally recognized, Hawaiʻi‑born model works to prevent child abuse by offering intensive home‑visitation support to high‑risk families. A graduate of Kahuku High School and the University of Hawaiʻi with a master’s degree in social work, Kehau shares how Healthy Start identifies families through hospital screenings and self‑referrals, then provides weekly home visits, individualized care plans, developmental screenings, parenting education, and culturally based practices such as talk story, Hoʻoponopono, Lomi Lomi, and Native Hawaiian diet guidance. She describes the program’s local staffing, toy‑ and book‑lending library, group socialization activities, and the unique funding partnership between the Queen Emma Foundation and the Queen Liliʻuokalani Children’s Center. Kehau also discusses challenges faced by Koʻolauloa families—including unemployment, limited rural resources, literacy needs, and transportation barriers—and shares touching success stories that illustrate how early‑intervention support strengthens families and helps children thrive.

Length of Video

00:29:42

File Size

2.5GB

Archives Call Number

22.FH

Air Date

2-13-1997

Keywords

Kehau Santiago, Lance Chase, Focus Hawaii, Koʻolauloa Healthy Start, child abuse prevention Hawaiʻi, home visitation program, Native Hawaiian families, Queen Emma Foundation, Queen Liliʻuokalani Children’s Center, early childhood intervention, developmental screening, family support services, rural Hawaiʻi resources, Ho‘oponopono, Hawaiian cultural practices, toy lending library, parent education Hawaiʻi, Kahuku High School graduate, social work Hawaiʻi, community health programs

Recommended Citation

Chase, Lance and Santiago, Kehau, "Focus Hawaii Kehan Santiago Healthy Start Koolauloa" (1997). Focus Hawaii. 139.
https://digitalcollections.byuh.edu/focushawaii/139