Programs and Projects
Na keiki is Hawaiian for "children."
The VLSH Na Keiki Law Center began operating in July 1999 and focuses exclusively on the legal needs and rights of children.
In Hawai'i, children account for nearly one-half of the poverty population. A growing number are without health insurance. In 1998, every two hours a child was reported as being abused or neglected, every five hours a baby was born to a teenage mother, every three days a baby died during the first year of its life.
More than 50 individuals and groups in the community came together to develop the Center as a project of VLSH. It is grounded in the belief that nothing is more important to maintaining a strong society than protecting the rights of children to be housed, educated, supported, and to live free of violence. To this end, it offers children and their families an opportunity to move away from abuse and neglect and ahead in education and health.
Na Keiki Law Center can provide expert guidance and direction to children and their families who may be in need of services, including legal representation of those who are abused and neglected, legal support for child witnesses of domestic violence and other crimes, and help for children currently living on the streets.
If you would like more information about Na Keiki Law Center or if you are interested in working with us, please let us know.