Information and Resources for Parents and Caregivers
As a parent, nothing is more important to you than your keiki’s health and well-being.
As pediatricians, we also want your child to grow up healthy, happy and safe. We’re here to help and be a partner to you and your children through each developmental stage. We know there’s a lot of information out there, especially about vaccines. We welcome conversations about your child’s health care and are here to help you navigate important questions.
And if you’re looking for trustworthy information on social media, here’s a great list of pediatricians to follow and to share with family and friends.
Follow These Pediatricians for Trustworthy Content on Children’s Health
Community Resources during the Federal Government Shutdown
The federal government has been shutdown since October 1, 2025. As the federal shutdown continues, many Hawaiʻi families are facing uncertainty about how to keep food on the table and a roof overhead. This page has key programs that are now available to help residents bridge this difficult period.
Childhood Vaccinations
Kids love to be with other kids, laughing and learning. As a parent, you never know which viruses may ride home with them.
Vaccines teach your child’s immune system how to recognize and resist the most dangerous germs. Thanks to these scientific breakthroughs, serious diseases that once made thousands of kids sick every year have become more and more rare. If you have questions about vaccines, your pediatrician is there to answer them.
What to Know About Your Baby’s Immune System
Vaccines Your Child Needs by Age 6
14 Diseases You Almost Forgot About Thanks to Vaccines
Vaccine Schedule – Why So Many?
Children grow through predictable ages and stages — from learning to talk and walk, to learning to make friends. Your child’s immune system has stages, too and, because of that, vaccine timing matters. Vaccines work best when your child’s body is ready to respond best.
Building immunity is like learning to read. Newborn vaccines are the beginner books that teach your baby’s immune system to recognize and resist serious diseases. Just as a child grows from board books, to Dr. Seuss, to “Captain Underpants” - their immune system grows and gets stronger with each vaccine.
All About the Recommended Immunization Schedules
Vaccine Safety
Our communities in Hawaii have benefited from vaccines for more than 60 years. They’ve been scientifically designed to teach the immune system to recognize and resist serious diseases and are carefully tested and monitored over time.
As parents, you want to keep your kids healthy. Medical researchers care about children, too, so they carefully test and monitor the ingredients in vaccines. Each ingredient in a vaccine has a specific function, making the vaccine work better with your child’s immune system.
Vaccine Safety: Examine the Evidence
Vaccine Ingredients: Frequently Asked Questions
How Vaccines are Developed, Safety Tested and Approved: Step by Step
Fact checked: Vaccines: Safe and Effective, No Link to Autism
Are Vaccines Safe for Children? The Truth About Risks & Benefits
Community Immunity
Because routine childhood immunizations are widely available in the U.S., most kids today will never get whooping cough, tetanus, polio or meningitis. When vaccination is widespread, contagious diseases have a hard time spreading.
That’s called community immunity, and it protects the people on our islands. It keeps preventable diseases at bay, keeps our children focused on growing and learning, and sets young people up for lifelong health and well-being.
Vaccine Protection: How Healthy is Your Community?
Other Important Topics
While vaccines are in the news and discussed in social media a lot, we know parents have all kinds of questions.
AAP’s Healthy Children website has a wealth of information. Here are links to other frequently asked about important topics:
Educational Videos for Parents - From Hawaii Pediatricians
The following free education videos for Maui Caregivers are made possible by the American Academy of Pediatrics Disaster Recovery Program and the Hawaii Chapter of the AAP. These videos are not intended to prevent, diagnose or treat any condition.
Mahalo to Dr. Irene Papaconstadopoulous, a pediatrician and medical director at C.H.A,M.P.S Pediatrics on Maui, for making these videos.
Hi’ilei Developmental Screening Program
This screening program is a free program through the Hawaii Department of Health from birth to age 5 which provides developmental screening and information for families. Enrolling is free and families can complete a developmental screen online or receive a questionnaire in the mail. For more information, you can go to Hi’ilei Hawai’i website.
Finding a Drug & Alcohol Rehab Center Near You
If you are seeking drug or alcohol addiction treatment, you can connect with the best rehab centers by going to RehabNet.com.