How do we rate Hawaii?

It seems that every week, over the last month, there's been a conference or training that I've been at. The topics vary from provider services to education to harm reduction. Aside from the provider training, most speakers are from the "continental US." How does Hawaii rate?

Puff it up folks. We are doing pretty well and can be proud. All of these in some way relate to my work, foster care or adoption, so I usually rate us in comparison to the other states and their child welfare system. Yesterday's conference was the HAPA (HI Adoption and Permanency Alliance) one in celebration of adoption month. The speaker was from the mainland, can't remember which state (I missed dinner with her the night before), and is adopted herself. Anyway, throughout the course of the day, she talked about various things that we (everyone nationwide) should be doing to work with adoptees, adoptive families, and birth families. Several things she mentioned, are already being done and quite successful. What are they? Well, `Ohana Conferencing for one. She had a chart that showed the child and the connections surrounding him/her. She called it something else, but we pointed it out to her that we call it OC. She talked about educating educators on the need for awareness when the foster/adoptive child is in their school system. Wow! Last week I spoke at an education conference, to educators, on the need for greater awareness and teamwork (see When I Foster). And it wasn't the first time. She talked about family connections with the birth family. Wow! Aren't we doing that already? And we're even talking about it and stressing the importance of it in training. Well, stand up and take a bow Hawaii. We are on track and way ahead of the game. Even for being natives that live on those islands!