[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 64 (Wednesday, April 29, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S4901]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 21--SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF 
                NATIONAL EARLY EDUCATOR WORTHY WAGE DAY

  Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Kennedy, 
Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Feingold, and Mr. Dodd) submitted the following 
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions:

                            S. Con. Res. 21

       Whereas approximately 60 percent of the children in the 
     United States under the age of 6 are in nonparental care 
     during part or all of the day while their parents work;
       Whereas the early childhood industry employs more than 
     2,300,000 workers;
       Whereas the average salary of an early care and education 
     worker is $18,917 per year;
       Whereas only \1/3\ of early care and education workers have 
     health insurance and even fewer have pension plans;
       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 each 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 reflect the importance of the job of helping the young 
     children of the United States develop their social, 
     emotional, physical, and cognitive skills and be ready for 
     school;
       Whereas providing adequate compensation to early childhood 
     program staff should be a priority, and resources should 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 
     childhood workforce is critical to ensuring high-quality 
     early learning environments;
       Whereas early childhood educators 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, the National Association for the Education of 
     Young Children, and other early childhood organizations, 
     recognize May 1 as ``National Early Educator Worthy Wage 
     Day'': Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (1) supports the goals and ideals of National Early 
     Educator Worthy Wage Day; and
       (2) urges public officials and the general public--
       (A) to honor early childhood care and education staff and 
     programs in their communities; and
       (B) to work together to resolve the early childhood 
     education staff compensation crisis.

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