[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 106 (Thursday, August 3, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S8812]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. CLINTON (for herself and Mr. Johnson):
  S. 3797. A bill to establish demonstration projects to provide at-
home infant care benefits; to the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions.
  Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce today 
legislation to provide parents new options to balance family and work.
  The reality of today's economy is that most parents must work to 
provide economic security for their families--a reality that is 
particularly true when a new baby is welcomed into the family. In fact, 
55 percent of women with infants younger than one year of age work. As 
a result, working parents face the challenge of providing economic 
security for their family while simultaneously ensuring that their 
infant receives the quality care that he or she needs.
  Research shows that the quality of caretaking in the first months and 
years of life is critical to a newborn's brain development, social 
development and well-being. Yet there is currently a severe shortage of 
safe, affordable, quality care for infants. The number of licensed 
child care slots for infants meets only 18 percent of the need. The 
shortage is particularly acute in rural areas, and especially in rural 
areas that have many low-income residents.
  In the ideal circumstance, I think we would all agree, parents who 
need affordable, high-quality care for their infant would provide that 
care themselves. Unfortunately, in many low- and moderate-income 
families, having a parent quit his or her job or reduce work hours to 
care for an infant is not financially viable. Doing so would plunge the 
family into an economic crisis. Rather, parents should have the choice 
of using a state child care subsidy to obtain infant care outside the 
home or of keeping the subsidy so they can stay home and care for their 
child themselves without risking their family's financial security.
  The Choices in Child Care Act of 2006 would provide parents this 
choice. The bill amends the child care development block grant, CCDBG, 
so that low- and moderate-income parents have the option of forgoing a 
State childcare subsidy for infant care outside the home and instead 
receiving a comparable stipend to provide the care themselves while 
keeping the family economically stable. Providing support for at-home 
infant care would give thousands of working families the help they need 
to balance work and care for their infant children. The bill would also 
help meet the critical shortage of infant childcare, provide cost 
savings to state child care programs, support quality care for the 
critical first years of a child's development, and value parenting as a 
form of work.
  The time has come for us to recognize the challenges facing families 
today and give parents additional resources and options to address 
those challenges. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the 
Choices in Child Care Act of 2006.
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