III 111th CONGRESS 1st Session H. CON. RES. 99 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES April 28, 2009 Received and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions CONCURRENT RESOLUTION Supporting the goals and ideals of a National Early Educator Worthy Wage Day.

Whereas approximately 60 percent of the Nation’s children under 6 are in nonparental care during part or all of the day while their parents work; Whereas the early childhood industry employs more than 2,300,000 workers; Whereas the average salary of early care and education workers is $18,917 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 childhood workforce is critical to ensuring high-quality early learning environments; Whereas early childhood educators 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 Early Educator Worthy Wage Day: Now, therefore, be it

That the Congress supports the goals and ideals of National Early Educator 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 education staff compensation crisis.

Passed the House of Representatives April 27, 2009. Lorraine C. Miller, Clerk.