[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 50 (Tuesday, March 27, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S2081]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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             BEALE AIR FORCE BASE CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER

 Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I ask my colleagues to join me in 
celebrating the April 2, 2012, opening of the new Child Development 
Center, CDC, at Beale Air Force Base in Yuba County, CA.
  I am so pleased that this facility has at long last become a reality 
for the families stationed at Beale, and I was proud to have fought to 
secure the funding required to build it.
  When I visited Beale in 2004, I saw firsthand the critical need for a 
new CDC on base. The old CDC built in 1967 was in dire need of 
replacement. The aging facility was too small to accommodate eligible 
children and was found to contain safety hazards including asbestos and 
lead. The men and women serving our Nation at Beale deserve to know 
that their children are being cared for in a safe and nurturing 
environment. The new CDC will provide this peace of mind.
  The Silver-LEED-Certified 37,566-square-foot facility will increase 
the number of children served from 175 to 280, relieving the burden on 
many military families who currently rely on childcare located 20 miles 
off base. It will have a total of 21 classrooms for children ranging 
from infants to preschool age and employ 70 staff members. The new CDC 
is also centrally located and easily accessible from anywhere on the 
installation. This new CDC will go a long way to ensure we are meeting 
the needs of the families stationed at Beale.
  As cochair of the Senate Military Family Caucus, I know that when a 
servicemember wears a uniform, the entire family serves. That is why we 
must do everything we can to lessen their burden and provide for their 
needs. The new CDC at Beale symbolizes America's commitment to our 
incredible military families and is one more way we can show our 
gratitude for their service.

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