[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 41 (Wednesday, March 12, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1570-S1572]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CHILD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT ACT OF 2014
Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, I rise today in support of the
bipartisan Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014. I thank
Senator Mikulski for her great leadership, Senator Burr for his
leadership, and Senators Harkin and Alexander. We have had a great
afternoon.
We also had a number of people confirmed today, which I am very
pleased about, including the Ambassador to Canada. I think it is pretty
important we have an ambassador to Canada because Canada is our biggest
trading partner. We haven't had one now for months, and this is a very
good outcome.
But back to the bill. It has been almost 20 years since the Senate
last reauthorized CCDBG. Since that time we have learned if we want
strong communities, a robust workforce, and students who are ahead of
the curve, we need to ensure that every child has access to high-
quality childcare.
As the country's primary Federal childcare program, CCDBG provides
millions of families with the assistance they need to ensure working
parents can keep their jobs or finish schooling knowing their children
are safe and receiving quality care. We know that a child's early years
are critical to building a strong foundation for their lives. Up to 90
percent of brain development happens before age 5. Just think about
that: 90 percent of brain development happens before age 5. That is why
it is so important to invest in quality care and education. When we do,
it pays off for the rest of us by giving us better informed citizens
and a more productive workforce.
Investments in the Child Care and Development Block Grant Program
also give parents the option of affordable childcare. Research
indicates that higher childcare costs have a negative impact on a
mother's employment because women are more likely to leave their jobs
when childcare costs are high. That can have a lasting negative impact
on families' finances and women's future earnings.
As the Senate chair of the Joint Economic Committee, I released a
report last year that looked at the critical role mothers play in the
financial well-being of their families. My report found that lower
income families are especially dependent on the money earned by mothers
who work outside the home. In families in the lowest 10 percent of the
income distribution, mothers account for over half of family income.
The high price of childcare these days--it averages over $14,000 each
year for two children--means the child care and development block grant
assistance makes a big difference between families rising into the
middle class or falling further behind.
Working families across the country are counting on us to get this
done. Since the child care and development block grant was last
reauthorized in 1996, families have seen the cost of childcare increase
while access to quality care has become more difficult to find.
This bipartisan legislation would provide the opportunity for
Congress to make critical improvements to the Child Care and
Development Block Grant Program to ensure that children are safe and
healthy in their childcare setting, that families have access to
quality programs, and that States have a coordinated system of early
care and education for children from birth to age 13.
One of the primary updates in the 2014 reauthorization is the
requirement that all childcare providers receiving this assistance must
go through comprehensive background checks. It is unbelievable that
currently only 13 States require comprehensive background checks for
childcare providers. We have had a number of incidents in our State
where children have had tragic injuries and tragic ends because of the
lack of background checks. As a former prosecutor, I saw firsthand how
abuse harmed young children, tore families apart, and challenged local
law enforcement agencies, our court system, and our social service and
health care providers. Our kids deserve better. We need to do
everything we can to make sure people caring for our kids undergo
comprehensive background checks before receiving child care and
development block grants.
The bill also requires States to conduct regular health and safety
inspections of the childcare settings so we can make sure kids are
learning and developing in safe environments.
The legislation cuts redtape by giving families more flexibility
around enrollment procedures.
These changes will not only strengthen the program's integrity but
also improve transparency so that the 1.5 million children being served
through this program every month get the best care possible.
Raising the next generation has always been a difficult job, and it
has never been more expensive. The future of our Nation rests on making
sure parents have the support they need to give their children a strong
start.
I urge the Senate to reauthorize this bipartisan bill and ensure
children and working families get the quality care and education they
need to thrive. It is the best investment we can make.
I see the Senator from North Carolina Mr. Burr just came in. I thank
him for his great work not only on this bill but also in allowing for
this amendment process, which I believe is very important for the
future of the Senate.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Montana.
Mr. TESTER. Mr. President, I wish to talk about two amendments I will
call up on S. 1086, the child care and development block grant bill.
The first one I will speak to is amendment No.
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2834, which Senator Murkowski and I are offering in relation to tribal
childcare facilities.
As my colleagues know, I recently took over as chairman of the Senate
Committee on Indian Affairs, and 2 weeks ago I held my first hearing.
This hearing focused on early childhood development and education in
Indian Country. This hearing was timely, as some of the testimony the
committee received related to the child care and development block
grant. At that hearing a childcare program director from the White
Earth Nation--who is also the chair of the National Indian Child Care
Association--testified about the needs of her program and the needs of
all Indian childcare providers. One of the needs she highlighted was
improving the condition of tribal childcare facilities in Indian
Country.
According to the Administration for Children and Families, of the 260
Indian tribe or tribal organizations that receive CCDBG funds, only 14
of them constructed new tribal childcare facilities in the last 10
years.
In an effort to improve and replace facilities, my amendment allows
tribes more flexibility in the use of their grant funds. Renovation and
construction of tribal facilities is already an allowable activity
under this legislation, but the law explicitly states that Indian
tribes or tribal organizations cannot reduce services--even
temporarily--to improve or replace their facilities.
This amendment allows the Secretary to grant a waiver to an Indian
tribe or tribal organization, permitting them to temporarily reduce
services if they can prove the outcome will improve capacity or improve
services as a result of the construction. It is a simple, commonsense
amendment that will improve the quality of life in Indian Country, and
I urge its adoption when it comes up.
I will now speak to amendment No. 2835. Under current law, a parent
who suffers the tragedy of the death of a child has to rely on their
employer's compassion for time off to grieve. Many times this is not an
issue. There are thousands of compassionate employers out there who
give parents the space they need. But not everyone is so fortunate.
Some folks who just aren't ready to come back after a few days end up
having to choose between returning to work while struggling with the
aftermath of their child's death or losing their job.
This amendment would fix the Family and Medical Leave Act to include
the death of a child as a trigger for benefits provided under the FMLA.
The FMLA currently allows parents to take time off to care for a child
battling a serious health issue. But children between the ages of 1 and
14 are more than twice as likely to die suddenly from an accident than
from cancer, flu, and pneumonia combined.
The FMLA protects parents who are caring for their children; it
should support parents who are grieving for their children as well.
This is a small amendment, but it will mean so much to parents who
suffer the unimaginable loss of a child. I urge my colleagues to stand
for compassion, and I urge adoption of this amendment when it is
brought up.
Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, I rise somewhat reluctantly today to
speak about an intelligence committee matter.
Allegations in the past 24 hours have been discussed rampantly in the
halls of Congress and in the press. Based on press reports today,
yesterday, and even last week, allegations have been made regarding the
Central Intelligence Agency's actions toward the committee, as well as
staff and Members' actions on the Senate intelligence committee toward
the CIA.
The reason I feel compelled to speak on this matter is the following:
Although people speak as though we know all of the pertinent facts
surrounding this matter, the truth is we do not. The Republican
committee members on the Senate intelligence committee and staff were
not involved in the underlying investigation of the detainee and
interrogation report. We do not know the actual facts concerning the
CIA's alleged actions or all of the specific details about the actions
by the committee staff regarding the draft of what is now referred to
as the ``Panetta internal review document.''
Both parties involved have made allegations against one another and
have even speculated as to each other's actions, but there are still a
lot of unanswered questions that must be addressed. No forensics have
been run on the CIA computers--or, as my colleagues refer to them,
``the SSCI computers''--at the CIA facility to know what actually
happened regarding the alleged CIA search or the circumstances under
which the committee came into possession of the Panetta internal review
document.
Given that both of these matters have now been referred to the
Department of Justice, it may take us a while before any accurate
factual findings can be reached and a satisfactory resolution of these
matters can be achieved. It may even call for a special investigator to
be named to review the entire factual situation. Eventually, we will
get to the bottom of this, but today I cannot make a statement that
will reflect what actually occurred and therefore what recommendations
we ought to make as we move forward.
Right now our committee members are conducting an internal assessment
of the facts and circumstances involved in both of these matters. This
will be an ongoing process which should not be described or discussed
in the public domain but, like all other intelligence committee
matters, should remain within the purview of the confines of the
intelligence committee.
Today I simply wanted everyone to know where I stand on this matter
and how we need to get to the ground truth of these very important
matters.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Pennsylvania.
Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as if in
morning business.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
(The remarks of Mr. Casey are printed in today's Record under
``Morning Business.'')
Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, we know it is well past time--and that is
an understatement--to take up the reauthorization of this important
legislation, the Child Care and Development Block Grant Program, which
has not been reauthorized since 1996. It is hard to comprehend that,
but that is true.
In the nearly two decades since, our understanding of early childhood
development and the importance of high-quality childcare in early
learning has expanded dramatically. Investing in high-quality early
learning opportunities, such as childcare and prekindergarten, sets
children on the path to success.
I like to say if children learn more now, they will earn more later,
and that is why there is a direct nexus with the quality of the
childcare we provide. The quality of early learning connects directly
with our economic growth.
Our gross domestic product--our future economic growth and success as
a country--is substantially dependent on the quality of early learning
and the quality of childcare. It is good we are focused in a bipartisan
way on the childcare aspects of this challenge.
We must update the Federal standards that relate to childcare to
ensure that the Federal Government is supporting high-quality
childcare--not just any quality childcare--for low-income children.
The bill we are considering sets a new standard for childcare in
America. It makes sure Federal dollars are going to providers who are
committed to providing childcare that meets certain criteria, such as
health and safety standards.
Many of these changes reflect proposals I put forth in previous
Congresses to improve the child care and development block grant. The
Starting Early Starting Right Act was legislation I introduced.
I am encouraged we are able to reach consensus on many of the
provisions I supported in the past and that they are represented in
this bill. I, and I know many others, would have liked to have gone
further to provide more of an investment both by way of dollars and
[[Page S1572]]
more of an investment by way of quality, but these are significant
changes and we should all support them.
In terms of the increase in incentives that I would hope we can do at
a future date, I described them in this way: incentives for States to
invest in quality ratings and improvement systems. We know a lot of
acronyms. This is QRIS, Quality Rating and Improvement Systems, which
encourages childcare providers to make continuous improvements in the
care they provide and the facilities they use often through financial
incentives, such as higher reimbursement rates, when a certain quality
level is reached.
However, I still believe the bill we have in front of us represents a
substantial and significant improvement over the current law. We owe
our most vulnerable children nothing less.
For the first time we are requiring all States to develop a robust
health and safety set of standards and to institute a consistent
background check for childcare providers. We are requiring States to
formally coordinate their early learning programs to improve service
coordination and delivery. We are allowing children who qualify for a
subsidy to receive 1 year of care before their eligibility is
redetermined. This will help promote stability and continuity for the
entire family and encourage the child to develop strong relationships
with his or her teachers and peers in childcare.
Finally, we are increasing the investment in quality from the 4-
percent quality set-aside per year--currently required in law--to 10-
percent within 5 years, including a separate set-aside for infants and
toddlers. Quality is a continuum and continual investment. It is not a
one-time purchase. It is something we need to support and sustain.
This bill is about investing in our children's future and supporting
working parents. I urge all of my colleagues to join us in supporting
the CCBDG reauthorization--a nice acronym for a long bill.
I mentioned earlier that if children get quality early care and
learning, they will learn more now and earn more later when they are in
the workforce. There is no question about that. All the studies
indicate that. We know that. There is no disagreement about that.
We also have to recognize that there are so many families--somewhere
in the millions--that have two parents working, and we know the stress
and challenge that creates. In addition, we have just come through the
worst economic downturn since the 1930s. Climbing out of that hole and
having all of the economic pressures on these families, they are often
also heavily burdened or even crushed by the cost of childcare.
We have an opportunity with this legislation to move forward and make
needed changes on issues, such as health and safety standards and
making sure we are setting aside more dollars for infants and toddlers.
There are a whole range of actions we are taking, but we still have a
ways to go to speak directly to the needs that working families have in
terms of the cost of childcare and ensuring the kind of quality they
have a right to expect.
Finally, on a related topic, we need to make sure we are making a
national and substantial commitment to early learning. The President
has talked about this issue. People from both parties and CEOs tell us
about it all the time. We need to get together on these other issues
even as we pass this bipartisan legislation.
I wish to commend the work of Senator Harkin and Ranking Member
Alexander, who are working to get this done, and the good work over
several years now done by Senator Mikulski and Senator Burr.
We need to get this done and then get to work on some of the
childcare and early learning challenges our country faces and families
are often burdened with.
I yield the floor and note the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
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