Thousands of Maui County residents from low income families can thank Maui
Economic Opportunity Director of Early Childhood Services Debbi Amaral ‒
who will be retiring later this month ‒ for getting a “head start” with
subsidized preschool.
For the last 30 years, Amaral has devoted her life to providing quality
child care, education and family support and has helped families and
children weather community and personal crises. She has been director of
Head Start programs on Maui and Moloka`i for 3 and 4 year olds and the Kahi
Kamali`i Infant Toddler Center at the J. Walter Cameron Center in Wailuku
for the last 21 years.
Debbi Amaral attended mentorship training for new Head Start directors in
June 2017 at the University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA).
“Giving young children in our community a foundation for their school years
and future success is Debbi’s life’s work and legacy,” said MEO CEO Debbie
Cabebe. “As director, much of Debbi’s work is behind the scenes but the
continued operation of Head Start and Kahi Kamali`i through good times and
bad, such as the Lahaina wildfires and COVID-19, attest to her leadership
skills and devotion to our community’s young children.”
Amaral has faithfully and successfully carried the mantle of Head Start,
which is one of MEO’s charter programs that began in 1965. Head Start
provides preschool to children who come from low income families and are
homeless and fostered. Besides the traditional preschool experience, Head
Start supports the entire family with parenting classes and supportive
services and gives parents a say in their child’s educational experience.
Head Start is federally funded with Maui County providing grants to expand
services.
The late Abel Fernandez Sr. is shown congratulating daughter Debbi Amaral on her first day as Early Childhood Services Director in November 2005.
Opening in 2003, Kahi Kamali`i offers child care for children 1 to 3 years
of age. Maui County provides funds to lower the cost to families; tuition
assistance is available. Kahi Kamali`i is licensed for 15 children.
Amaral joined MEO in 1995 as Head Start Education and Disability
Coordinator and was promoted to Assistant Director of Early Childhood
Services in 2002 and to Director in 2005. Currently, she oversees nine Head
Start sites with 180 children at Haiku, Kihei and Wailuku Elementary;
Princess Nahienaena Elementary in Lahaina; UH-Maui College in Kahului, Ka
Hale A Ke Ola Homeless Resource Center in Wailuku, Hale Mahaolu’s Luana
Gardens in Kahului; and MEO Moloka`i in Kaunakakai.
There have been major challenges in recent years. Following the August 2023
Lahaina wildfires, MEO’s Princess Nahienaena Head Start site was the only
preschool to survive in town and reopened in February 2024. COVID-19 in
2021 closed Head Start sites, but Amaral quickly set up health and safety
protocols, created curriculum for virtual sites, secured laptops and hot
spots for families, and organized drive-thru food giveaways and weekend
meals through the Maui Food Bank.
Hiring credentialed site leaders became an issue for Head Start so Amaral
secured a $105,000 federal grant to support 10 individuals to earn their
Child Development Associate certification.
A blessing, led by Debbi Amaral (in red holding lei), was held at the MEO Head Start Lahaina Center at Princess Nahienaena Elementary in January
2024, 5 months after the Lahaina wildfire. The Head Start Center was undamaged by the wildfire, the only preschool in Lahaina to survive the flames.
To support services for enrolled children and families, Amaral established
a partnership with the Association for Infant Mental Hawai`i to become
MEO’s mental health consultant. Amaral prioritized program funding to
purchase a SPOT camera to improve visual screening efficiency of
preschoolers.
In 2021, Amaral was named one of 11 Champions of Children for Early
Learning, presented by the Hawai`i Children’s Action Network, and completed
a Head Start Johnson & Johnson Management Fellows Program in 2008 through
the Anderson School of Management at UCLA. She served as president of the
Head Start Association of Hawai`i from 2011-19 and has held other officer
positions since 2006.
Amaral earned her associate degree in human services with an emphasis in
early childhood from Maui Community College, now UH-Maui College. Prior to
joining MEO, she got experience as a teacher and teacher’s aide at Kahului
and Wailuku Union, Iao and Kahului Baptist preschool programs.
Debbi Amaral stands between Conrad Person (right) of Johnson & Johnson and Alfreda E. Osborne Jr. of UCLA after completing the Head Start Johnson &
Johnson Management Fellows Program in 2008 in Los Angeles.
She will be retiring at the end of the school year later this month. Amaral
will be succeeded as director by Early Childhood Services Assistant
Director Alex Domingo.
“It’s been an honor and privilege to represent our MEO Early Childhood
Services department for Maui County,” said Amaral. “Mahalo to my many
mentors throughout my career as a teacher aide, lead teacher, assistant
director and program director.
“In addition, my sincere gratitude to our many community partners for
providing valuable resources to enhance program services. Our communities
are stronger when we work together in partnership to provide access to
services that benefit children and families.”
Alex Domingo (left) and Debbi Amaral pose for a photo at the Mālama Na Keiki Hōʻike in March. With Amaral’s retirement later this month, Domingo
will succeed her and become Director of MEO Early Childhood Services.