[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 53 (Thursday, May 2, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S3881]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  STATEMENTS ON SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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  SENATE RESOLUTION 260--DESIGNATING MAY 1, 2002, AS ``NATIONAL CHILD 
                         CARE WORTHY WAGE DAY''

  Mr. CORZINE (for himself, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Cleland, Mr. Dodd, Mr. 
Kerry, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Feingold, Mrs. Carnahan, and Mrs. Murray) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 260

       Whereas approximately 14,000,000 children are in out-of-
     home care during part or all of the day so that their parents 
     may work;
       Whereas the average salary of early childhood educators is 
     $16,000 per year, and only \1/3\ have health insurance and 
     even fewer have a pension plan;
       Whereas the quality of child care and other early childhood 
     education programs is directly linked to the quality of early 
     childhood educators, and low wages make it difficult to 
     attract qualified individuals to the profession;
       Whereas the turnover rate of early childhood educators is 
     approximately 30 percent per year because of low wages and 
     lack of benefits, making it difficult to retain high quality 
     educators, and research has demonstrated that young children 
     require caring relationships to have a consistent presence in 
     their lives for their positive development;
       Whereas the compensation of early childhood educators must 
     be commensurate with the importance of the job of helping the 
     young children of the United States develop their social, 
     emotional, physical, and intellectual skills to be ready for 
     school;
       Whereas the cost of adequate compensation cannot be funded 
     by further burdening parents with higher child care fees but 
     requires public as well as private resources so that quality 
     care and education is accessible for all families; and
       Whereas the Center for the Child Care Workforce and other 
     early childhood education organizations recognize May 1st as 
     National Child Care Worthy Wage Day: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates May 1, 2002, as ``National Child Care Worthy 
     Wage Day''; and
       (2) requests that the President issue a proclamation 
     calling on the people of the United States to observe 
     ``National Child Care Worthy Wage Day'' by--
       (A) honoring early childhood educators and programs in 
     their communities; and
       (B) working together to resolve the early childhood 
     educator compensation crisis.

  Mr. CORZINE. Mr. President, I rise today to submit a resolution 
designating May 1, 2002 as National Child Care Worthy Wage Day. On May 
1 each year, child care providers and other early childhood 
professionals nationwide conduct public awareness and education efforts 
highlighting the importance of early childhood education. I hope these 
efforts will bring attention to early childhood education and the 
importance of attracting and retaining qualified child care workers.
  Every day, approximately 14 million children are cared for outside 
the home so that their parents can work. This figure includes six 
million of our Nation's infants and toddlers. Children begin to learn 
at birth, and the quality of care they receive will affect them for the 
rest of their lives. Early child care affects language development, 
math skills, social behavior, and general readiness for school. 
Experienced child care workers can identify children who have 
development or emotional problems and provide the care they need to 
take on life's challenges. Through the creative use of play, structured 
activities and individual attention, child care workers help their 
charges learn about the world around them and how to interact with 
others.
  The dedicated individuals who nurture and teach our Nation's young 
children are undervalued despite the importance of their work. The 
average salary of a child care worker is approximately $16,000 
annually. According to the Department of Labor, in 1998, the middle 50 
percent of child care workers and pre-school teachers earned between 
$5.82 and $8.13 an hour. The lowest 10 percent of child care workers 
were paid an hourly wage of $5.49 or less. Only one third of our 
Nation's child care workers have health insurance and even fewer have 
pension plans. This grossly inadequate level of wages and benefits for 
child care staff has led to difficulties in attracting and retaining 
high quality caretakers and educators. As a result, the turnover rate 
for child care providers is 30 percent a year. This high turnover rate 
interrupts consistent and stable relationships that children need to 
have with their caregivers.
  To address this issue, Senator Dodd and I have introduced the ``Focus 
On Committed and Underpaid Staff for Children's Sake Act,'' a bill that 
would establish a grant and scholarship program for child care 
providers.
  I encourage my colleagues to join me in recognizing the importance of 
the service that child care workers provide and the need to increase 
their compensation accordingly. The Nation's child care workforce, the 
families who depend on them, and the next generation of children that 
they care for deserve our support.

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