[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 60 (Wednesday, April 16, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S3082]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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 SENATE RESOLUTION 517--DESIGNATING THE WEEK OF APRIL 13-19, 2008, AS 
                      ``WEEK OF THE YOUNG CHILD''

  Mr. SALAZAR (for himself, Mr. Cochran, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Alexander, Mr. 
Levin, Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. Brown, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Casey, 
Mrs. Murray, Mr. Roberts, and Mr. Johnson) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 517

       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;
       Whereas only about one-half of all preschoolers who are 
     eligible to participate in Head Start programs have the 
     opportunity to do so;
       Whereas less than 5 percent of all eligible babies and 
     toddlers in the United States receive the opportunity to 
     participate in Early Head Start;
       Whereas only about 1 out of every 7 eligible children 
     receives assistance under section 658C of the Child Care and 
     Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858a) 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;
       Whereas, according to numerous studies on the impact of 
     investments in high-quality early childhood education, the 
     programs reduce--
       (1) the occurrence of students failing to complete 
     secondary school; and
       (2) future costs relating to special education and juvenile 
     crime; and
       Whereas economist and Nobel Laureate, James Heckman, and 
     Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve 
     System, Ben S. Bernanke, have stated that investment in 
     childhood education is of critical importance to the future 
     of the United States: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates the week of April 13-19, 2008, 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
       (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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