Nonprofits are expanding efforts to reach more low-income kids, but a shortage of funding and pool space means not enough swim classes to meet the demand — even for families with money and time to spare.

Honolulu mom Myriam Saboui is an expert at navigating the high-stakes registration process for the city’s free swimming lessons. Minutes before enrollment opens, she loads the registration website on both her phone and laptop and pre-selects the class she wants for her 7-year-old daughter.

But even with Saboui’s diligent preparation, she hasn’t always been able to enroll her daughter in lessons at their local public pool. Classes often fill up in minutes, and the city’s waitlist has grown to more than 870 spots — even though fall enrollment only opened last week.

“My hands are shaking,”

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