2025 Kaua‘i Youth Report released

The latest edition of the Kaua‘i Youth Report is now available to the public.

It’s the most comprehensive report reveals weaknesses and strengths in comparison to statewide indicators, summarizing the state of the island’s keiki and young adults across a broad spectrum of measurements.

“This report was designed to be a resource for everyone who shares responsibility for the future of Kaua‘i’s keiki,” said Kaua‘i Planning & Action Alliance Executive Director Alice Luck in an announcement about the report’s release. “Our goal is not only to present data but to make it meaningful and actionable, offering insights that can be applied in homes, classrooms, community programs and policy decisions alike.”

Kaua‘i Planning & Action Alliance has published the Kaua‘i Youth Report since 2012, offering a snapshot of how Kaua‘i’s young people are doing from birth to workforce entry.

In 2022, the report added new indicators on the physical, mental and emotional health of island youth, highlighting social-emotional well-being and social determinants of health.

The 2025 report goes further, adding early childhood (prenatal to age 5) indicators, weaving
reflections from community members and spotlighting promising community practices that support youth well-being.

This report is intended to be hopeful — anchored in Kaua‘i’s strengths — and shaped by cross-sector collaboration with a unifying call to action rooted in local solutions.

Encouraging data points worth highlighting include:

• Drops in child maltreatment (down to 4% from 6% in 2022) and suicide (down to 2.4% from a peak of 12.1% in 2017 among middle-schoolers).
• Leading the state in preschool participation (55.8%) and gains in school attendance compared with previous years (75% in 2023-24 compared with 67% in 2021-22).
• Reported substance abuse among Kaua‘i middle and high school students is also lower than statewide averages.

Areas for improvement include bullying at school, which rose in recent years. Economic pressures also contribute to increasing instability and anxiety for local families.

While a comparatively low percent of children on Kaua‘i are living below the federal poverty level (7% vs. 11.4% statewide):

• More than half of Kaua‘i parents (51%) report financial strain is a major source of stress in their lives.
• 34.4% of Kaua‘i families work hard and earn money, but still don’t make enough to cover essentials such as rent, food or child care.
• 32% of Kaua‘i households are at risk of homelessness, meaning they could lose housing within 3 months if their primary income stopped — often called “precariously housed.”
• 24% of families report unstable housing is a major source of stress, affecting children’s health, learning and overall ‘ohana stability.

“For parents and caregivers, the report underscores how the conditions surrounding families — financial security, safe housing, access to health care and opportunities for growth — directly shape the well-being of the next generation,” Luck said.

She said the findings the report presents offer a clear lens on where the island is making progress and where urgent challenges remain — a valuable tool for community leaders, service providers and funders.

“Indicators related to family stress, health, education and housing can guide thoughtful investments, strengthen partnerships and inspire new approaches,” Luck said.

The full 2025 Kaua‘i Youth Report can be viewed and downloaded here.