[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 2 (Thursday, January 7, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E40]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            THE CIDCARE ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENJAMIN A. GILMAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, January 6, 1999

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing CIDCARE, in an effort 
to effectively stimulate the demand for higher quality care for our 
Nation's children while simultaneously removing barriers and providing 
resources to improve the quality of child care in the United States.
  Child care continues to be a worry for most families as stories 
continue to surface about the lack of quality child care. Moreover, 
research has clearly demonstrated that a high-quality child care 
program is one that makes the healthy development and education of 
children its first objective and strives to stimulate the learning 
process of all children through developmentally appropriate activities 
that foster social, emotional, and intellectual growth. In addition, 
families in today's society are increasingly required to have both 
parents enter the work force. The demand for quality child care is 
increasing as is the need for credentialed and accredited child care 
providers.
  Accordingly, CIDCARE will stimulate the demand for higher quality 
child care for our Nation's children while simultaneously removing 
barriers and providing resources to improve the quality of child care 
in the United States.
  Many of my colleagues may have read about the tragic circumstances 
surrounding the Fiedelhotz family in Florida. The Fiedelhotz' son 
Jeremy died after only 2 hours at a day care facility. Through this 
tragedy should have never happened, it is an unfortunate example of 
what can and may continue to happen unless we encourage and inform all 
parents about the need for accredited and credentialed child care 
providers and facilities.
  CIDCARE through the Tax Code will encourage the demand for accredited 
or credentialed child care. This will be accomplished in the following 
manner: First, by increasing the amount which an employee can 
contribute to a dependent care assistance plan if a child is in 
accredited or credentialed child care; second, changing the dependent 
care tax credit to allow parents to receive a higher and more equitable 
dependent day care credit; third, providing tax benefits for employers 
which provide quality child care; fourth, extending eligibility for 
businesses to take a qualified charitable deduction for the donation of 
educational equipment and materials to public schools, accredited or 
credentialed nonprofit child care providers; fifth, establishing a $260 
million competitive grant program to assist States in improving the 
quality of child care; sixth, expanding public information and 
technical assistance services to identify and disseminate to the public 
what is important for child development in child care; seventh, 
providing $50 million to create and operate a technology-based training 
infrastructure to enable child care providers nationwide to receive the 
training, education, and support they need to improve the quality of 
child care; eighth, creating a child care training revolving fund to 
enable child care providers and child care support entities to purchase 
computers, satellite dishes, and other technological equipment which 
enable them to participate in the child care training provided on the 
national infrastructure; ninth, requiring that all Federal child care 
centers will have to meet all State and local licensing and other 
regulatory requirements related to the provision of child care, within 
6 months of the passage of this legislation; and tenth, extending the 
Perkins and Stafford Loan Forgiveness Program to include child care 
workers who are employed full time providing child care services and 
have a degree in early childhood education or development or receive 
professional child care credentials.
  I urge all of my colleagues to review this bill and to join me in 
cosponsoring this important measure. Our children are our future and we 
insist that they receive the best care possible, especially during 
their early development years.
  Accordingly, I will welcome your support.

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