Department of Human Services (DHS) Early Childhood Registry

The DHS Early Childhood Registry, which is operated by PATCH (People Attentive to Children) standardizes how early childhood practitioners’ credentials are reviewed within our state for DHS child care licensing purposes and captures data about the qualifications of early childhood practitioners within our state.

There are 2 components of the Registry, one part that is mandated by the DHS to meet child care licensing requirements and the other part which is voluntary to promote and track the early childhood practitioner’s ongoing professional development by encouraging practitioners to continue with their education and training.

Mandatory Component of the Registry:

  • DHS requires all employees or those interested in employment at a DHS licensed Group Child Care Center (GCC), Group Child Care Home (GCH), or Infant and Toddler Child Care Center (IT) to submit a Registry Application to PATCH along with documentation of their education and training such as copy of certificate, diploma, transcripts, etc. so that an evaluation and determination is made on the position(s) qualified to hold and will be included in the staff-child ratios at the child care centers according to the applicable Hawaii Administrative Rules (HAR) Title 17, Chapter 892.2 Licensing of Group Child Care Centers and Group Child Care Homes and Chapter 17-895.1 Licensing of Infant and Toddler Child Care Centers.
  • Employees and those interested in employment at a DHS licensed Before and After School Child Care Facility (BAS) and DHS registered Family Child Care Home (FCC) providers are not required to apply with the DHS Early Childhood Registry, however, they may voluntarily submit an application.
  • Once a final determination is made, a DHS Early Childhood Registry certificate and practitioner summary report is sent to the applicant which includes the name, the position that the applicant qualifies for in a licensed GCC, GCH, or IT, the effective date and expiration date of the certificate, and the Framework level for which the applicant qualifies for according to The Framework for Early Care & Education Practitioners (The Framework).

Voluntary Component of the Registry:

  • Practitioners have an option to use the Registry to track their ongoing professional development in early education which exceeds the licensing requirements and leads to increased quality of care for young children.
  • Applicants may use the same Registry Application to track their ongoing professional development.  Currently, the Registry uses Hawaii’s standards titled the Attitudes, Skills, and Knowledge for Early Care and Education Practitioners in Center-Based Settings (ASK Core Areas) and the Framework of Early Care and Education Practitioners (Framework) to provide guidance to individuals about their training needs and professional goals.  Both measuring tools were created by the Hawaii Career for Young Children (HCYC) by looking at other states’ experiences, interviewing national leaders in early education and professional development and holding community forums on each island for input.  It reveals the practitioners’ levels of formal education, but more importantly, their specialized training in early care and education.
  • Click here to see: the Framework and ASK Core Areas.

Information and contact for the DHS Early Childhood Registry can be located at the following PATCH website:

https://patchhawaii.org/programs/dhs-hawaii-early-childhood-registry/