The Hoâomakua Project

The FY 2015 Second Chance Act Strengthening Relationships Between Young Fathers and Their Children: A Reentry Mentoring Project helps ensure that the transition young fathers make from secure confinement facilities back to their families and their communities is successful and promotes public safety. This program will fund mentoring and comprehensive transitional services, emphasizing developing parenting skills, to offenders who are young fathers. The goals of the program are to reduce recidivism among young fathers; improve outcomes for young fathers, their children, and family members; and promote responsible fatherhood. The objectives of this program are to provide young fathers with supportive mentoring and transitional services in both confinement and in the community-based on and matched to their assessed risks and parenting needs that support their successful reentry.

Keiki O Ka Aina Preschool, Inc. (KOKA) will implement the Ho’omakua Project as a risk, needs, and responsivity project that will connect incarcerated fathers and those transitioning out of prison to their children by hiring trained mentors who address the fathers’ needs. The project will serve 100 young incarcerated and released fathers, their children, and family members. KOKA will combine established strategies and programs with innovative methodologies in a comprehensive, holistic approach to reduce recidivism among young fathers; improve outcomes for young fathers, their children, and family members; and promote responsible fatherhood. KOKA will provide the following services to young Native Hawaiian fathers: (1) education to include responsible fatherhood curricula, child development, financial literacy life-skills and basic employment classes; (2) early childhood and parenting classes; (3) intensive mentoring, including one-to-one, group and peer facilitation; (4) home visitation that incorporates the Biobehavioral Catch-up model to help reestablish a bond with child and parents; (5) an integrated, sustained case management plan; (6) a coordinated support network; (7) relationship and communication skill building; (8) independent activities designed to establish closer relationships between fathers and children; (9) training and group facilitation for mentors and trainers; and (10) structured activities through cultural practices. The state of Hawaii is a recipient of the OJJDP FY 2014 Smart on Juvenile Justice: A Comprehensive Strategy to Juvenile Justice Reform Initiative, and OJJDP will work with the grantee to coordinate project activities with the Smart on Juvenile Justice reforms occurring in the state.
CA/NCF