Kaua‘i County Awards $1 Million Through Life’s Choices to 13 Organizations

Kaua‘i County has awarded $1,000,000 through the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney’s Life’s Choices program to 13 nonprofit organizations to expand mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment across the island, the county announced Feb. 27, 2026. The funding is designated under the Life’s Choices Adult and Adolescent Mental Health & Substance Abuse Community Program Grants and prioritizes prosocial programs for adolescents and young adults.

Prosecuting Attorney Rebecca Like framed the awards as a continuation of prior investments in prevention. “Building on last year’s grant opportunity, this funding supports prosocial and prevention programs that give Kauai’s youth positive, healthy ways to grow and stay engaged,” she said. The program’s stated goals include giving youth structured alternatives to substance use and high-risk behavior while strengthening community supports.

The Garden Island identified several recipients and program models among the 13 awardees. Aina TEK Workforce Training Program - Kumano I Ke Ala O Makaweli will deliver ‘āina-based workforce training for at-risk and adjudicated youth in West Kaua‘i, combining hands-on agricultural skill building, leadership development, environmental restoration, mentorship and job training with a cultural connection. Hale ‘Opio Kaua‘i, Inc. received funding for the Kaua‘i Youth Prevention Treatment and Recovery Initiative: Building a Continuum of Care, which the organization described as establishing an internal continuum across assessment and treatment; community programs such as Kaua‘i Empowered Youth for Success (K.E.Y.S.) and anti-vaping classes and certification; and coalition building. Kaiola Canoe Club is also listed among recipients in county reporting.

County distribution materials and press notices emphasize expanding the pool of grantees. GovDelivery messaging from the prosecutor’s office said nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status are invited to apply and that preference will be given to organizations not previously awarded and to proposals focused on youth. Separate county communications reported the Life’s Choices office preparing to accept proposals for past fiscal cycles, while a Kauai Now notice stated that applications for fiscal year 2026-2027 were being accepted, with proposals required by email to opagrants@kauai.gov and to be received no later than 4 p.m. on Feb. 17. Individuals needing auxiliary aid were directed to contact Life’s Choices director Diane DeHart at 808-241-4925 or ddehart@kauai.gov by Jan. 30.

County news release NR 02-27-26 announced the awards and the Life’s Choices program also posted information on its website and social media channels. Prosecuting Attorney Like linked the investment to public safety outcomes: “These investments help reduce future involvement in the justice system and strengthen our island community.”

The $1,000,000 award pool reflects a policy emphasis on prevention and first-time grantees, and the county has signaled both grantmaking and ongoing request-for-proposals activity through the Life’s Choices program. County officials and the Life’s Choices office can provide the full list of the 13 awardees, award amounts and program details for each funded project.