[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 39 (Friday, March 31, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2697-S2698]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        WEEK OF THE YOUNG CHILD

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 418, submitted 
earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 418) designating the week April 2, 
     2006, as ``Week of the Young Child.''

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution 
be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be 
laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the resolution 
be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 418) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 418

       Whereas there are 20,000,000 children under the age of 5 in 
     the United States;
       Whereas numerous studies, including the Abecedarian Study, 
     the Study of the Chicago Child-Parent Center, and the High/
     Scope Perry Preschool Study, indicate that low-income 
     children who have enrolled in quality, comprehensive early 
     childhood education programs--
       (1) improve their cognitive, language, physical, social, 
     and emotional development; and
       (2) are less likely to--
       (A) be placed in special education;
       (B) drop out of school; or
       (C) engage in juvenile delinquency;
       Whereas the enrollment rates of children under the age of 5 
     in early childhood education programs have steadily increased 
     since 1965 with--
       (1) the creation of the Head Start program carried out 
     under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.);
       (2) the establishment of the Early Head Start program 
     carried out under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et 
     seq.); and
       (3) the enactment of the Child Care and Development Block 
     Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858 et seq.);
       Whereas many children eligible for, and in need of, quality 
     early childhood education services are not served due to 
     inadequate funding;
       Whereas over 4,000,000 children under the age of 5 live in 
     poverty;
       Whereas only about \1/2\ of all preschoolers who are 
     eligible to participate in Head Start programs have the 
     opportunity to do so, and even fewer eligible babies and 
     toddlers receive the opportunity to participate in Early Head 
     Start;
       Whereas only about 1 out of every 7 eligible children 
     receives an amount of child care assistance sufficient to--
       (1) enable the parents of the child to continue working; 
     and
       (2) provide the child with safe and nurturing early 
     childhood care and education;
       Whereas, although State and local governments have 
     responded to the numerous benefits of early childhood 
     education by making significant investments in programs and 
     classrooms, there remains--
       (1) a large unmet need for those services; and
       (2) a need to improve the quality of those programs; and
       Whereas, according to numerous studies on the impact of 
     investments in high-quality early childhood education, the 
     programs yield to the public a return of 4 dollars to 13 
     dollars for each dollar invested: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates the week beginning April 2, 2006, as ``Week 
     of the Young Child'';
       (2) encourages the citizens of the United States to 
     celebrate--
       (A) young children; and
       (B) the citizens who provide care and early childhood 
     education to the young children of the United States; and

[[Page S2698]]

       (3) urges the citizens of the United States to recognize 
     the importance of--
       (A) quality, comprehensive early childhood education 
     programs; and
       (B) the value of those services for preparing children to--
       (i) appreciate future educational experiences; and
       (ii) enjoy lifelong success.

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