[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 19 (Monday, February 12, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E149-E150]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           CHILD CARE AFFORDABILITY FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES ACT

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                       HON. CONSTANCE A. MORELLA

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, February 12, 2001

  Mrs. MORELLA. Mrs. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Child Care 
Affordability for Federal Employees Act. This bill enables federal 
agencies to use their salary and expense accounts to help low-income 
federal employees pay for child care. Balancing work and family has 
become increasingly difficult for families, and federal employees are 
no exception.
  My legislation will provide opportunities for federal agencies to 
help offer quality child care for their employees' children by allowing 
federal agencies to use their salary and expense

[[Page E150]]

accounts to help executive employees pay for child care. In each of the 
2 years, this legislation has been included in the Treasury, Postal 
Service and General Government Appropriations Bill. It is my hope that 
we can now make this much needed service for our federal employees 
permanent. Evidence has already begun to mount about the success of the 
program and OPM will be coming out with a report in March which will 
further elaborate on its usefulness for federal agencies.
  The Child Care Affordability for Federal Employees Act, developed 
with the help of OPM, would allow agencies to pay a portion of the 
providers' operating costs, thus enabling the centers to reduce the 
fees charged to lower income federal employees. It would be up to 
individual agencies to determine whether or not to use funds from their 
salary and expense accounts to help provide child care. Agencies--not 
employees--would make payments to child care providers to help lower 
income federal employees pay for their child care.
  One of the greatest challenges families face is finding safe, 
affordable day care. Having raised nine children and now watching them 
struggle with their own child care dilemmas, I am well acquainted with 
the problems associated with finding quality day care. America's lack 
of safe, affordable day care is not a new problem, but its consequences 
are becoming more dire, and it does require new, innovative solutions. 
In 1995, 62 percent of women with children younger than 6 and 77 
percent of women with children between the ages of 6 and 17 were in the 
labor force.
  Approximately one-quarter of all federal workers have children under 
the age of 6 needing care at some time during the work day. In some 
federal child care facilities, families are charged up to $10,000 or 
more per child per year. Many federal employees simply cannot afford 
quality child care. By allowing agencies the flexibility to help 
workers meet their child care needs, we will be encouraging family-
friendly workplaces and higher productivity. It is clear that we need 
more child care, we need affordable child care, and we need quality 
child care. And unless child care becomes a priority in the private 
sector and the public sector, families, including those of federal 
employees, aren't going to find it.
  Mr. Speaker, as a nation, we must and we can do better for our 
children, and this legislation, making federal services permanent, is 
an important first step.

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