[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 66 (Thursday, April 24, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S3408]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 531--SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF A NATIONAL 
                       CHILD CARE WORTHY WAGE DAY

  Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Feingold, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. 
Levin, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Inouye, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Casey, Mr. 
Lautenberg, Mr. Akaka, and Mr. Johnson) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 531

       Whereas approximately 63 percent of the Nation's children 
     under age 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 $18,820 per year, and only \1/3\ of these workers 
     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 the 
     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 helping 
     them to be ready for school;
       Whereas providing adequate compensation to early childhood 
     program staff should be a priority, and resources can 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 their training and experience; and
       Whereas the Center for the Child Care Workforce, a project 
     of the American Federation of Teachers Educational 
     Foundation, with support from 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, That the Senate--
       (1) designates May 1, 2008, as National Child Care Worthy 
     Wage Day; and
       (2) calls on the people of the United States to observe 
     National Child Care Worthy Wage Day by honoring early 
     childhood care and education staff and programs in their 
     communities.

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