[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 105 (Wednesday, July 25, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8224-S8233]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. KENNEDY:
  S. 1247. A bill to establish a grant program to promote emotional and 
social development and school readiness; to the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I am proud to introduce the Foundations 
for Learning Act. I want to thank my son, Patrick for his leadership in 
developing this legislation. This bill is an extremely important piece 
of legislation that addresses the whole child's early development.
  There is no question that healthy emotional and social development 
are critical to school success. The development of curiosity, self-
direction, the ability to cooperate with peers and to exhibit self-
control are essential before a child can be ready to learn. Children 
whose lives are threatened by socioeconomic disadvantage, violence, 
family disruption and diagnosed disabilities are at a severe 
disadvantage in the classroom. There is no question these children 
cannot perform at their highest academic potential.
  While we are all concerned about reading readiness and children's 
readiness to learn, we cannot ignore the underlying factors that enable 
them to learn. We know that children cannot learn when they are hungry 
or sleepy, but rarely do we stop to think about their emotional ability 
to learn. Children who are angry, afraid or cannot control their own 
emotions, or have no sense of self-direction, and ability to resolve 
conflicts with peers are not ready to learn either.
  Last month, a national study reported that children who receive more 
than 30 hours per week of non-parental child care exhibit higher levels 
of aggressive behavior than those who spend less than 10 hours per week 
in comparable settings. The study called national attention to the 
quality of child care that parents entrust the care of their young 
children to. It also rekindled the Nation's interest in the early years 
and how these years contribute to a young children's development. As we 
debate investments in early care and education, we must not 
underestimate the need to look at the social and emotional readiness of 
the child that leads to later academic readiness.
  Studies are showing that increasing numbers of children are 
unprepared to cope with the demand of school, not because they lack the 
academic tools, but because they lack the social skills and emotional 
self-regulation necessary to succeed. In a survey of kindergarten 
teachers, 46 percent said that at least half of their class had 
difficulty following directions, 34 percent reported half of the class 
or more had difficulty working as part of a group, and 20 percent said 
at least half of the class had

[[Page S8233]]

problems with social skills. Is it a surprise that children who cannot 
follow simple directions and get along with their peers cannot learn to 
read?

  According to the latest data, 61 percent of children under age 4 are 
in regularly scheduled child care. With such a high percentage of our 
youngest children in child care and with such certainty as we have that 
early care and education has a long-lasting if not permanent impact on 
an individual's social and academic development, we cannot deny the 
necessity of ensuring that those providers are equipped to work with 
all of our children including those with emotional and behavioral 
problems.
  Neither can we deny that the most important relationship in a child's 
life is the one with his or her parents. It is absolutely essential to 
the child's future success that the parent-child relationship be as 
healthy as possible. Without a close, dependable relationship with a 
healthy and responsible adult, a child's potential for growth could be 
severely and permanently impaired. We must provide high quality 
education and support not only for children but also for their parents.
  The goal of this legislation is to enable all children to enter 
school ready to learn by focusing on the social and emotional 
development of children ages 0-5. The bill would accomplish this by: 
providing family support initiatives such as parent training and home 
visitation to provide intensive early interventions to families of at-
risk children; providing consultations and professional development 
opportunities for child care workers and hiring of behavioral 
specialists by early childhood service providers and the development of 
curriculum for use in early childhood settings; providing early 
intervention services to at-risk children to promote their emotional 
and social development; and by developing community resources and 
linkages between early childhood service providers to enhance the 
quality of services to children.
  This bill will help communities lay the foundation for school 
readiness by providing funding to integrate emotional and social 
development support services into early childhood programs and 
strengthening the capacity of parents to constructively manage behavior 
problems.
  Study after study had shown that intervention can work to increase 
the quality of early care and educational experiences that children 
receive. Study after study has shown that financial resources are 
essential to improving quality of early care and education. Study after 
study has shown that investments in young children can save costs of 
adolescents' incarceration tomorrow. Investing in young children is 
well worth the investment. If we're serious about adequately preparing 
our children for school and for life, we must provide communities, 
families, child care providers with the necessary resources to support 
the development of a healthy whole child.
  I hope that my colleagues will join me in supporting and pushing this 
important legislation.
                                 ______