As you can see by the 2023 “numbers” EPIC ‘Ohana was quite busy in 2023. A large decline in the number of children taken into care was a big shift for child welfare in 2023. CWS has worked hard to prevent removals and provide other services to families to stabilize them. Our efforts have also shifted a bit to reach out to families early in CWS involvement.

‘Ohana Finding (nationally referred to as “Family Finding”) is a process designed to identify, locate and engage family members of children and youth who are in foster care.

Launched in 2018, the Youth Partner Program (YP), has grown to nine Youth Partners serving youth on all islands. YP's are young adults between 18-27 with lived experience in systems (foster care, mental health, juvenile justice) who are passionate about supporting young people and helping them navigate the systems. Recently, we asked youth partners to share their thoughts on the program. We hope you enjoy reading their insights and stories as much as we did.

People who participate in the Nā Kama work bring a wide variety of experiences and perspectives. One may be a cultural practitioner. One may be a person whose experiences include homelessness or substance abuse and children placed into foster care. One may be a leader in a state agency or a nonprofit agency. One may be a frontline worker who works every day with families or young people.

Our hearts go out to our ‘ohana on Maui. The concept of being “trauma informed” seems more important than ever as we deal with tragedy at home, and in the world. Over the last two years, we have been blessed to partner with the Pū'ā Foundation as they work to build a peer support network and workforce and to find ways, based on Hawaiian culture and values, to build a trauma effective and beloved community.

Every year a family is honored for successfully reunifying with their children. This year June 2023 we celebrated the Keleleiki-Francisco family.

EPIC ‘Ohana is celebrating its 25th year as a nonprofit organization in 2023. We are so very grateful for each and every one of you. We have been able to raise up the voices of families and young people in ‘Ohana Conferences, Youth Circles, Wraparound meetings, convenings like Nā Kama a Hāloa because of your support.

Join us in welcoming our new Program Development Manager, Lise Vaughan-Sekona. Lise has a passion for justice and service. After learning of the transformative work at EPIC 'Ohana has been doing in and for our community, she became interested in being a part of the organization

Helping children to have stability, security, and love is at the heart of what motivates Lisa Jacobs to do her invaluable work, as founder and president of Better Way Divorce, also known as Pono Divorce. The desire to help others has always been an integral part of Lisa; a seed planted in her by her social worker mother.

A positive working relationship between parents and resource caregivers is pivotal to the well-being of the keiki. This event in Hilo celebrated the importance of shared parenting, bringing families together in aloha for one another and our keiki.

Kim Nabarro is a Parent Partner within the Family Wrap Hawaii department

After graduating from college with an honors degree in creative writing Karen Worthington wasn’t sure what she was going to do next. She wanted to go to grad school, but was torn between social work and law.

Since our last newsletter EPIC `Ohana has been busy with some very exciting projects and programs. In the next few paragraphs I will share some of the highlights.

Ashley Torres and Oscar Gomez-Hernandez were surprised to be selected as this year’s honorees for Hawaii’s National Reunification Month celebration.

Wilma Friesema is the ‘Ohana Connections and Staff Development Manager

For our board member, Dr. Susan Chandler, why and what are two essential words that have been a driving force in her life. Always curious about how systems work and the impact they have on people, Susan has been questioning and challenging the status quo throughout her impressive career.

Aloha family and friends:
EPIC `Ohana, like many organizations in Hawai`i, uses a July – June fiscal year. On the 24th, our `Ohana Conferencing, `Ohana Finding, and Youth Circles staff celebrate with a get together for the first time in person since 2019.

“Your name is unusual. What’s the origins of your surname?” Patrick Yim asked at the very beginning of our conversation. Names have always been important to him. Having traced his own Chinese and Hawaiian ancestry back for generations, he knows that names carry not only a legacy, but a link to the essence from where we come.

A few weeks ago, our EPIC `Ohana gathered on Zoom for our annual Kūhiō Day training. It was our third virtual Kūhiō Day, and we paused to think about Hawai'i in 1922, when Prince Kūhiō passed away, 100 years ago.

This video brings voices of parents with lived experience to encourage birth parents currently in the child welfare system, especially those struggling with substance use disorders.