[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 82 (Thursday, June 5, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7491-S7492]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DODD:
  S. 1198. A bill to establish the Child Care Provider Development and 
Retention Grant Program, the Child Care Provider Scholarship Program, 
and a program of child care provider health benefits coverage, and for 
other purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
Pensions.
  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Focus on 
Committed and Underpaid Staff for Children's Sake Act. I am pleased 
that Senators Kennedy, Murray, and Bingaman are joining me as original 
cosponsors and that companion legislation is being introduced in the 
House today by Representatives George Miller and Patrick Kennedy.
  The need for child care has become a daily fact of life for millions 
of parents nationwide. Sixty-five percent of mothers with children 
under age six and 78 percent of mothers with children ages 6 to 13 are 
in the labor force. Each day, 13 million preschool children, including 
6 million infants and toddlers, spend some part of their day in child 
care.
  The quality of that care has a tremendous impact on the critical 
early years of children's development. And, the most powerful 
determinant of the quality of child care is the training, education, 
and pay of those who spend 8-10 hours a day caring for our children.
  Yet, what we know about the child care field is alarming. Despite the 
fact that continuity of care is critical for the emotional development 
of children, staff turnover at child care centers averages 30 percent 
per year--four times greater than the turnover rate for elementary 
school teachers.
  We as a society say there is no more important task than helping to 
raise a child. Yet, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we pay 
the average child care worker about $16,500 a year--barely above the 
poverty level for a family of three. Few child care providers have 
basic benefits like health coverage or paid leave. Only a small 
fraction of child care workers have graduated from college.
  We pay people millions of dollars a year to throw baseballs, to shoot 
basketballs and to swing golf clubs. What does that say about our 
priorities when at the same time we pay those who care for our most 
precious resource--our children--poverty-level wages?
  A report by the University of California, Berkeley and the Center for 
Child Care Workforce on child care providers' pay, training and 
education highlighted the current crisis in the child care field. In a 
survey of child care centers in three California communities, the study 
found that three-quarters of all child care staff employed in 1996 were 
no longer on the job in 2000. Some centers reported 100 percent 
turnover. Additionally, nearly half of the child care providers who had 
left had a Bachelor's degree, compared to only one-third of the new 
teachers. Some 49 percent, nearly half, of those who had left their 
job, left the child care field entirely.
  It's clear that if we want to attract quality teachers to the child 
care field, the pay has to better reflect the value we place on their 
work. We can't attract them and we can't keep them if we don't pay them 
a living wage.
  The legislation I am introducing today will provide states with funds 
to increase child care worker pay based on the level of education--the 
greater the level of education, the greater the increase in pay. In 
addition, the legislation will provide scholarships of up to $1,500 for 
child care workers who want to further their early childhood education 
training by getting a college degree, an Associate's degree, or a child 
development associate credential.
  The legislation also includes a separate allotment to states to 
address access to health care coverage by child care workers. States 
would be free to develop their own creative methods to improve access 
to health care, but the intent is to ensure that an industry that works 
with children--who as many parents know, often come down with a variety 
of illnesses, particularly preschool age children--would have greater 
access to comprehensive and affordable health care coverage.
  We will never make significant strides in improving the quality of 
child care in this Nation if we fail to address one of the leading 
problems--attracting and retaining a quality child care workforce. It 
is time to invest in our children by investing in those who dedicate 
their lives to caring for our children.
  I ask unanimous consent to print a short summary of the bill 
following my remarks.
  There being no objection, the summary was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

  the focus act: focus on committed and underpaid staff or children's 
                                sake act

       Background: According to the Department of Labor, the 
     average wage for a child care provider is $8.16 an hour--
     $16,980 per year. Despite the important role child care 
     providers play in early childhood development and learning, 
     child care providers earn less than bus drivers ($29,430), 
     barbers ($21,190), and janitors ($19,800). The turnover rate 
     in the child care field is high--30 percent. But, to offer 
     compensation to attract and retain high quality staff, child 
     care programs would be required to charge fees that many 
     parents would not be able to afford. Current law 
     reimbursement rates, which are woefully inadequate for 
     center-based and family day care homes already shut out too 
     many parents from the child care market.
       The FOCUS Act: The purpose of the FOCUS Act is to establish 
     a Child care Provider Retention and development Grant 
     Program, a Child Care Provider Scholarship Program, and to 
     improve access to health coverage by child care workers and 
     their dependents in order to reward and promote retention of 
     committee, quality child care providers.
       Child Care Provider Retention and Development Grant 
     Program: The FOCUS Act provides grants to states to 
     supplement the

[[Page S7492]]

     wages of full-time child care workers who have a child 
     development associate (CDA) credential by at least $1,000. A 
     child care worker who has a Bachelors Degree in child 
     development or early child education shall receive a grant of 
     at least twice as much as grants made to providers who have 
     an Associates degree in the area of child development or 
     early child education. Grants to providers with an AA degree 
     shall be at least 150 percent of grants made to those with a 
     CDA. States shall provide grants in progressively larger 
     dollar amounts to child care providers to reflect the number 
     of years worked as a child care provider.
       Child Care Provider Scholarships: The FOCUS Act provides 
     grants to states for child care providers who have been 
     employed for at least a year in the child care field--maximum 
     grant is $1,500, to further staff education and training. 
     FOCUS Act scholarships are not counted against other federal 
     education aid.
       Health Care Coverage for Child Care Providers: The FOCUS 
     Act provides grants to states to provide better access to 
     health coverage for child care workers. States retain a great 
     deal of flexibility in determining how they will improve 
     access to health care and health coverage by child care 
     providers.
       Funding: For FY 2004, the FOCUS Act authorizes $500 million 
     for wage and scholarship initiatives and $200 million for 
     health care initiatives. Such sums are authorized for fiscal 
     years 2005-2008.
       Of the $500 million for wage and scholarship initiatives, 
     67.5 percent is for grants to attract and retain a quality 
     child care workforce and 22.5 percent is for scholarships to 
     promote a child care workforce better educated on childhood 
     development.
       Set-aside: 3 percent for Indian Tribes and tribal 
     organizations.
       Funding formula: based on the number of children under age 
     5 and the percentage of children receiving free or reduced 
     price lunches. 90/10 funding 1st year; 85/15 funding 2nd 
     year; 80/20 funding 3rd year; 75/25 funding fourth and 
     subsequent years.
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