[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 45 (Thursday, April 21, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 21, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                        NATIONAL WORTHY WAGE DAY

 Mr. HATFIELD. Mr. President, in commemoration of the third 
annual National Worthy Wage Day, I would like to take this opportunity 
to make note of some important statistics gathered from a report titled 
``Strategies for Enhancement of Compensation for Child Care Providers 
in Oregon, a Report on the Child Care Compensation Enhancement Project, 
State of Oregon, Employment Department, Child Care Division.'' The 1991 
statistics show that full-time child care teachers in Oregon earned 
from $9,500 to $11,880. Full-time teaching assistants earned from 
$8,592 to $9,118. In center settings, the annual turnover in the same 
year was 52 percent for teachers and 81 percent for assistants.
  While the above mentioned statistics are particular to Oregon, they 
reflect wage levels throughout our country. Clearly, if we are to have 
quality child care available to our very young children, the issue of 
adequate compensation to child care providers must be addressed.
  As an example of Oregon's situation illustrates, the lack of a decent 
working wage for individuals in the child care profession has had a 
lasting effect. Information from ``Who Cares? Child Care Teachers and 
Quality of Care in America Final Report, National Child Care Staffing 
Study,'' a report by the Child Care Employee Project, Oakland, CA, 
indicates that nearly half of all child care providers leave their jobs 
each year for a different profession because of the lack of a living 
wage.
  Much attention has been given to the child care crisis in this 
country. Alliances formed by child care professionals, child welfare 
advocacy groups and working parents have initiated broad-ranging 
discussions of the problems associated with child care. As dialogue 
continues at local, State and Federal levels, I am hopeful that the 
important issue of wage compensation for child care providers will 
receive the attention it deserves.

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