Frequently Asked Questions Who are we? The Hale Pono Shelter is a short-term (30 day) sanctuary for youth in need of support. Our ultimate goal is family reunification or effective long-term placement solution (foster care, long-term shelter, placement with extended family, etc.) Along with this primary goal of reunification and long-term placement for teens, The Hale Pono Shelter serves as a hub for connecting teens and families with vital programs and services, offered by both the shelter itself (through our drop-in and outreach programs), and through referrals to other programs and services in the community. What do we stand for? The Hale Pono shelter and its programs are based on and steeped in the principles of nonviolent communication, restorative justice, and trauma informed care. We follow these guiding principles in developing relationships with teens and their families and assist them in practicing them in order to ultimately achieve family reunification or long-term placement. What is the shelter’s capacity? The Hale Pono Youth shelter has 12 beds plus one ADA accessible bed (reserved for those who meet the ADA requirements). Who is eligible to stay at the shelter? Please see our Admissions section to see who is eligible for admission, subject to our admissions criteria Is parent/guardian consent required for admission to the shelter? Youth 14 years of age and older are able to consent for admission to the shelter in the absence of parent/guardian consent. Permission to remain at the shelter must be obtained by a parent/legal guardian within 24 hours. For youth 13 years of age and younger, the consent of parent/guardian consent is required to be admitted to the shelter. In the absence of an approving parent/legal guardian’s physical presence at the time of intake, forms requiring the signature of the legal guardian may be signed and faxed with the original mailed Does the shelter offer medical or psychiatric services? No. The Hale Pono Shelter is NOT a medical treatment facility of any kind. Therapeutic services from the community will be coordinated to meet resident’s needs. Are teens staying at the shelter allowed to have visitors (friends, family, etc.)? Visitation plans are made for each youth on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the youth’s management plan. Determinations for these visitation plans are made in the youth’s best interest. What fees are associated with the shelter and its programs? Shelter services are free of charge for up to 30 days upon admittance. As Hale Pono’s mission is to provide short-term shelter for Maui’s youth, long-term stays are discouraged. Any stay lasting longer than 30 days will be subject to escalating fees, due at the time of service. Contact us for more information on the fee schedule. What happens if the shelter is at capacity? If a teen seeks admission whilst all of the shelter beds are taken, we will refer them to the appropriate community resources, according to their needs.