[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 70 (Tuesday, May 1, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H4227-H4228]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEAS OF A NATIONAL CHILD CARE WORTHY WAGE DAY

  Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 112) supporting 
the goals and ideas of a National Child Care Worthy Wage Day.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 112

       Whereas approximately 63 percent of the Nation's children 
     under 5 are in nonparental care during part or all of the day 
     while their parents work;
       Whereas the early care and education industry employs more 
     than 2,300,000 workers;
       Whereas the average salary of early care and education 
     workers is $18,180 per year, and only \1/3\ have health 
     insurance and even fewer have a pension plan;
       Whereas the quality of early care and education programs is 
     directly linked to the quality of early childhood educators;
       Whereas the turnover rate of early childhood program staff 
     is roughly 30 percent per year, and low wages and lack of 
     benefits, among other factors, make it difficult to retain 
     high quality educators who have the consistent, caring 
     relationships with young children that are important to 
     children's development;
       Whereas the compensation of early childhood program staff 
     should be commensurate with the importance of the job of 
     helping the young children of the Nation develop their 
     social, emotional, physical, and cognitive skills, and to 
     help them be ready for school;
       Whereas providing adequate compensation to early childhood 
     program staff should be a priority, and resources may be 
     allocated to improve the compensation of early childhood 
     educators to ensure that quality care and education are 
     accessible for all families;
       Whereas additional training and education for the early 
     care and education workforce is critical to ensuring high-
     quality early learning environments;
       Whereas child care workers should receive compensation 
     commensurate with such training and experience; and
       Whereas the Center for the Child Care Workforce, a project 
     of the American Federation of Teachers Educational 
     Foundation, with support by the National Association for the 
     Education of Young Children and other early childhood 
     organizations, recognizes May 1 as National Child Care Worthy 
     Wage Day: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring),  That the Congress supports the goals and ideas 
     of National Child Care Worthy Wage Day, and urges public 
     officials and the general public to honor early childhood 
     care and education staff and programs in their communities 
     and to work together to resolve the early childhood care and 
     education staff compensation crisis.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
New York (Mrs. McCarthy) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. 
Platts) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from New York.


                             general leave

  Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Madam Speaker, I request 5 legislative 
days during which Members may insert material relevant to H. Con. Res. 
112 into the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time 
as I may consume.
  (Mrs. McCARTHY of New York asked and was given permission to revise 
and extend her remarks.)

[[Page H4228]]

  Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Madam Speaker, on May 1 of each year, 
child care providers and other early childhood professionals nationwide 
conduct awareness and education efforts highlighting the importance of 
good early childhood education for our Nation's young children.
  In support of these actions, I have introduced H. Con. Res. 112, a 
bipartisan resolution in support of National Child Care Worthy Wage 
Day. This resolution is an effort to support these initiatives and to 
help develop greater public awareness in this area. Every day, 
approximately 13 million children are cared for outside the home so 
that their parents can work, including some who work in our 
congressional offices.
  The committed individuals who nurture and teach these young children 
are undervalued, despite their important work. We know that children 
begin to learn at birth, and that the quality of care they receive will 
affect their language, development, math skills, behavior and general 
readiness for school. However, the inadequate level of wages for child 
care staff, roughly $18,000 a year, has led to difficulties in 
attracting and retaining high quality early childhood caretakers and 
educators.
  In addition to low wages, less than one-third of child care workers 
have health insurance, and even fewer have pensions. As a result, the 
turnover rate for child care providers is 30 percent a year. This high 
turnover rate interrupts consistent and stable relations that children 
need to have with their caregivers.
  Please join me in recognizing the important work of child care 
providers and support the efforts to provide them with a worthy wage. 
The Nation's child care workforce and the families that depend on them 
deserve our support.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PLATTS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Concurrent Resolution 
112, supporting the goals and ideas of a National Child Care Worthy 
Wage Day. I would like to thank my colleague from New York (Mrs. 
McCarthy) for her leadership on this issue and for introducing the 
resolution we are considering here today.
  Child care is an integral part of the daily routine of millions of 
families with young children. Working parents depend on child care so 
they can earn the income needed to support their families, as well as 
ensure that their children are well cared for in safe environments 
while they are working. As a result, approximately 63 percent of 
children under 5 years of age are in some type of regular child care 
environment each week.
  High-quality child care, care that provides a stable, safe, 
stimulating environment, helps children enter school prepared to learn. 
Research has repeatedly shown that children who receive high-quality 
child care demonstrate greater mathematical ability, greater attention 
and thinking skills and fewer behavioral problems than children who 
receive low-quality care.
  Quality care is directly linked to the quality of the educators, 
helping children to grow, learn and gain new skills is rewarding. 
However, it's very physically and emotionally taxing, as educators work 
long days, must be constantly alert, deal effectively with disruptive 
children, anticipate and prevent trouble, and provide firm but fair 
discipline. As a result, many child care workers leave the profession. 
The turnover rate in this industry is roughly 30 percent per year.
  Compensation and additional training are important variables to 
ensure a high quality child care environment for our children. We need 
to attract and retain educators who have the caring, consistent 
relationships that are critical to children's development. I am pleased 
to commend our Nation's child care providers for their dedicated 
service to our Nation's children and their families.
  I think it's important that we are taking time to recognize the 
critically important work of child care providers and the importance of 
doing better when it comes to their pay and benefits.
  As a parent myself, my children, now second grade, fourth graders, 
went through a preschool program that was exceptional, it was 
certified. In that facility, we had both the preschool program and a 
very high-quality child care center as well. We saw the benefits to our 
children personally of that professional setting. An important part of 
being able to retain professional workers, staff, in those settings, is 
the pay and benefits.
  When we look at the quality of these facilities, if we don't reduce 
that turnover rate, that 30 percent turnover rate, we will continue to 
be challenged to get somebody new in and get them up to speed. That 
impacts the quality of the care provided.
  So I, again, commend the sponsor of the resolution for helping to 
raise national recognition and the importance of this issue, and urge a 
``yes'' vote.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes.
  I want to thank the ranking member, Mr. Platts from Pennsylvania. 
Working with him on the committee has certainly been a joy. We do work 
very well together.
  As the gentleman has said, passing H. Con. Res. 112 is extremely 
important. I stand by the words that my colleague has spoken. But I 
think that this Nation really has to start looking at how we prepare, 
certainly for the few future and for the global economy that we are all 
facing. Certainly having high-qualified teachers, day care workers to 
make sure that our children are getting the best education they 
possibly can at the earliest age possible. We look at the other 
countries and see what they are doing. I have to say that many times we 
are shortchanging our children.
  Madam Speaker, I am asking that our Members vote for H. Con. Res. 
112.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. McCarthy) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 112.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas 
and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this question will 
be postponed.

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