[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 531 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 531

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 24, 2008

 Mr. Menendez (for himself, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Feingold, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. 
 Levin, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Inouye, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Casey, Mr. 
    Lautenberg, Mr. Akaka, and Mr. Johnson) submitted the following 
    resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


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

Whereas approximately 63 percent of the Nation's children under age 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\ of these workers 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 the 
        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 helping them to be ready for school;
Whereas providing adequate compensation to early childhood program staff should 
        be a priority, and resources can 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 their 
        training and experience; and
Whereas the Center for the Child Care Workforce, a project of the American 
        Federation of Teachers Educational Foundation, with support from 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 Senate--
            (1) designates May 1, 2008, as National Child Care Worthy 
        Wage Day; and
            (2) calls on the people of the United States to observe 
        National Child Care Worthy Wage Day by honoring early childhood 
        care and education staff and programs in their communities.
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