[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 11 (Thursday, February 12, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S772]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 77--RELATIVE TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

  Mr. SESSIONS submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources:

                            S. Con. Res. 77

       Whereas studies have found that quality child care, 
     particularly for infants and young children, requires a 
     sensitive, interactive, loving, and consistent caregiver;
       Whereas most parents meet and exceed the aforementioned 
     criteria, circumstances allowing, parental care marks the 
     best form of child care;
       Whereas the recent National Institute for Child Health and 
     Development study found that the greatest factor in the 
     development of a young child is ``what is happening at home 
     and in families'';
       Whereas a child's interaction with his or her parents has 
     the most significant impact on their development, any Federal 
     child care policy should enable and encourage parents to 
     spend more time with their children;
       Whereas 48 percent of mothers with preschool children under 
     the age of 5 are full-time at-home parents and another 34 
     percent of mothers work part-time in order to spend more time 
     with their preschool children;
       Whereas a large number of low- and middle-income families 
     sacrifice a second full-time income so that the mother may be 
     at home with her child;
       Whereas the average income of 2-parent families with a 
     single income is $20,000 less than the average income of 2-
     parent families with two incomes;
       Whereas only 30 percent of preschool children are in paid 
     child care and the remaining 70 percent of preschool children 
     are in families that do not pay for child care, many of which 
     are low- to middle-income families struggling to provide 
     child care at home;
       Whereas child care proposals should not provide financial 
     assistance solely to the 30 percent of families that pay for 
     child care and should not discriminate against families in 
     which children are cared for by an at-home parent; and
       Whereas any congressional proposal that increases child 
     care funding should provide financial relief to families that 
     sacrifice an entire income in order that a mother or father 
     may be at home for their young child: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That the Congress recognizes that--
       (1) many American families make enormous sacrifices to 
     forgo a second income in order to have a parent care for 
     their child at home;
       (2) there should be no bias against at-home parents;
       (3) parents choose many legitimate forms of child care to 
     meet their individual needs--an at-home parent, grandparent, 
     aunt, uncle, neighbor, nanny, preschool, or child care 
     center;
       (4) child care needs of at-home parents and working parents 
     should be given careful consideration by the Congress;
       (5) any quality child care proposal should reflect careful 
     consideration of providing financial relief for those 
     families where there is an at-home parent; and

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