[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 60 (Wednesday, April 16, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S3103]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page S3103]]
                        WEEK OF THE YOUNG CHILD

  Mrs. BOXER. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the 
immediate consideration of S. Res. 517 submitted earlier today by 
Senator Salazar.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 517) designating the week of April 
     13-19, 2008, as ``Week of the Young Child.''

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. DODD. Madam President, I rise today to recognize the ``Week of 
the Young Child.'' With 20 million children under the age of 5 in this 
country, these children are our country's future, and we must support 
and invest in our future. Providing children with access to quality 
early education programs will help to ensure that all children are not 
only ready for school, but ready to succeed and reach their full 
potential.
  In Connecticut, early care and education centers were established to 
provide quality early education to children of low- and moderate-income 
families. These centers, which are in communities all over the State, 
would not exist without a combination of State and Federal funds. 
Connecticut's centers are accredited by the National Association for 
the Education of Young Children and seek to support and promote the 
cognitive, physical, social, and emotional development of children.
  The Children's Center of New Milford, CT, is one of these funded 
early care and education centers. The center offers quality care on a 
sliding-fee scale to approximately 80 families. In addition to 
providing educational and social opportunities, the center also 
provides 80 percent of a child's daily nutritional needs including 
breakfast, a hot lunch, and an afternoon snack.
  Many of the parents helped by the center provide the workforce for 
small and large companies. They are employed by fast food stores, 
department stores, grocery stores, local restaurants, and nursing 
homes. Without the funded centers, these parents would not be able to 
afford childcare, and their children would not be able to benefit from 
the various educational, social, and emotional supports the centers 
provide.
  One Connecticut parent wrote to me about how a quality pre-K program 
has changed her child's life saying: ``My three year old loves books. 
My three year old interacts well with others. My three year old knows 
how to express himself without anger. My three year old will grow up to 
be a good citizen. My three year old is a product of good parenting and 
a quality pre-K program. As a single working parent, I rely on a pre-K 
program to fill the gaps when I am unavailable to nurture and teach my 
child.''
  I also heard from an elementary school Spanish teacher who discussed 
the benefits he has seen when children who come from non-English 
speaking families attend quality pre-K programs saying: ``The ability 
to learn with peers and children who do speak English at home helps 
these children so that they are not further behind their peers when 
they start kindergarten.''
  Funding quality early education programs such as these is essential 
to support the children, parents, communities, and future of our 
Nation. I thank Senators Salazar and Cochran for their leadership with 
regard to the resolution designating the ``Week of the Young Child'' 
and proudly support them in their valuable efforts.
  Mrs. BOXER. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, 
the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the 
table with no intervening action or debate, and any statements be 
printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 517) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              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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