[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1162 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1162

  Supporting the goals and ideas of a National Child Care Worthy Wage 
                                  Day.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 29, 2008

     Mrs. McCarthy of New York (for herself, Mr. George Miller of 
 California, and Mr. Platts) submitted the following resolution; which 
          was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Supporting the goals and ideas of a National Child Care Worthy Wage 
                                  Day.

Whereas approximately 63 percent of the Nation's children under 5 are in 
        nonparental care during part or all of the day while their parents work;
Whereas the early care and education industry employs more than 2,300,000 
        workers;
Whereas the average salary of early care and education workers is $18,820 per 
        year, and only \1/3\ have health insurance and even fewer have a pension 
        plan;
Whereas the quality of early care and education programs is directly linked to 
        the quality of early childhood educators;
Whereas the turnover rate of early childhood program staff is roughly 30 percent 
        per year, and low wages and lack of benefits, among other factors, make 
        it difficult to retain high quality educators who have the consistent, 
        caring relationships with young children that are important to 
        children's development;
Whereas the compensation of early childhood program staff should be commensurate 
        with the importance of the job of helping the young children of the 
        Nation develop their social, emotional, physical, and cognitive skills, 
        and to help them be ready for school;
Whereas providing adequate compensation to early childhood program staff should 
        be a priority, and resources may be allocated to improve the 
        compensation of early childhood educators to ensure that quality care 
        and education are accessible for all families;
Whereas additional training and education for the early care and education 
        workforce is critical to ensuring high-quality early learning 
        environments;
Whereas child care workers should receive compensation commensurate with such 
        training and experience; and
Whereas the Center for the Child Care Workforce, a project of the American 
        Federation of Teachers Educational Foundation, with support by the 
        National Association for the Education of Young Children and other early 
        childhood organizations, recognizes May 1 as National Child Care Worthy 
        Wage Day: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives supports the goals and 
ideas of National Child Care Worthy Wage Day, and urges public 
officials and the general public to honor early childhood care and 
education staff and programs in their communities and to work together 
to resolve the early childhood care and education staff compensation 
crisis.
                                 <all>