Our primary function is to fulfill the needs of our local community. Ywca of hawai'i island's services aim to draw together people with diverse experiences and relationships to meet those needs and attain our mission of eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. We work to maintain the national ywca's goals and objectives as we serve our local audience.

Healthy startthe purpose of the healthy start program is to support and strengthen families. The program service provides voluntary screening, assessment, and referrals to pregnant women, expectant fathers, and caregivers of newborns residing in the east hawaii area on the island of hawai'i who meet the program eligibility criteria. The program screened 1,104 families during the fiscal year ending 6/30/17. Healthy start also provides home visiting services to eligible families. Program staff partner with parents to address individual needs, set and support goals, build a home environment around the baby and connects parents with helpful services and information that supports learning, safety, and developmental stimulation. The services are free, voluntary, and confidential. The program enrolled 138 families during the fiscal year. These are families who were enrolled in service for at least one day or more during the fiscal year. A total of 980 home visits were conducted during the fiscal year. Each home visit ranges from 45 minutes to 75 minutes. A total of 1,273 screens/assessments were conducted during the fiscal year. preschoolywca developmental preschool is licensed by the department of human services and is nationally accredited by the national association for the education of young children (naeyc). The program focuses on the development and the education of the whole child; socially, emotionally, cognitively, and physically. Our preschool provides children with a nutritious breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack which are usda approved thanks to the walmart state giving program. The program served 120 children,between the ages of 2 through 5. the ywca hawai'i island sexual assault support services (sass),the only rape crisis center for the entire island of hawai'i was able to maintain the expansion of the program with the sex assault nurse examiners (sane) program from the hawaii police department to sass. Skilled and supportive crisis workers provide phone support to callers on the 24-hour sexual assault crisis line, or offer face to face help in east and west hawai'i to sex assault victims who report the crime to police. Crisis workers function as team members with police investigators and sane in hawaii county for forensic examination of sex assault victims. The sass team continued its expansion to include a crisis intervention specialist who helps to bridge the gap between crisis and entering into therapy with parttime intervention specialists working on both sides of the island. The intervention specialist does follow-up care to victims receiving face to face services immediately after disclosing they have been sexually assaulted and prior to entering into therapy. In addition, a full time masters-prepared therapist is employed at each sass office (hiloand kailua-kona) to provide psychotherapy, case management and legal systemadvocacy. All services are provided at no cost to the victim or their family. In fiscal year 2017, the ywca hawai'i island sass program answered 348 sex assault related phone calls that resulted in 159 face-to face support for clients on our 24/hour crisis line. In addition, 2043 calls were received and/or made on behalf of a client and 311 additional calls were made to secondary victims. The sass program opened 348 cases, 21 cases more than last year and provided outreach to 105 primary and secondary victims and provided therapeutic services to 150+victims and/or their families. In addition,58 sexual assault forensic exams were performed to collect evidence for possible prosecution. Of the 58 safes performed, 95% of the victims were female, 22% of the exams were performed on children between the ages of 0 and 12; 22% were performed on victims between the ages of 13 and 18; 47% were performed on victims the ages of 18 to 45 and 5% were over the age of 45.