Our mission: To build a solid foundation for Hawaii's children through excellent early childhood education programs.
Founded in 1895, KCAA was one of Hawaii's first non-profit organization, and offered the first teacher training and free Kindergartens to all of Hawaii’s children. Originally referred to as Free Kindergarten and Children’s Aid Association, the schools were based on two critical beliefs about early education: That quality early childhood education should be accessible and affordable for all children, and that the teaching of young children required a unique curriculum and highly trained teachers. KCAA led the way in desegregation efforts in Hawaii. In 1897, KCAA’s annual report stated, “It is the growing conviction of those who conduct this work that the expansion must be in the quality of the work done, rather than in the number of children to be taken under our charge”, which remains a guiding principle of our work today. We operate 6 NAEYC accredited preschools on the island of Oahu. With 120 employees, we serve more than 900 children ages 2-5 years annually and over 50% are from low-income families. We are open year-round.
