[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 143 (Thursday, November 20, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6192-S6193]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           CHILD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT ACT OF 2013

  Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I would like to thank Chairman Harkin, 
Ranking Member Alexander, and sponsors Senator Mikulski and Senator 
Burr for their tremendous work to bring the Child Care and Development 
Block Grant Act of 2014 to passage. I thank all of my colleagues in the 
House and Senate who helped get us to this point.
  As many of my colleagues have commented, it is well past time that we 
take up a reauthorization of this important legislation. The Child Care 
and Development Block Grant, CCDBG, has not been reauthorized since 
1996. In the nearly two decades since, our understanding of early 
childhood development, and the importance of high-quality child care 
and early learning, has expanded dramatically.
  Investing in high-quality early learning opportunities such as child 
care and pre-K sets children on the path to success. This bill updates 
Federal standards to ensure that the Federal Government is supporting 
high-quality child care for low-income children. The legislation we 
have passed sets a new standard for child care in America, making sure 
that Federal dollars are going to providers who are committed to 
providing child care that meets certain criteria, such as health and 
safety standards.
  Many of these changes reflect proposals I have put forth in previous 
Congresses to improve the Child Care and Development Block Grant, such 
as the Starting Early, Starting Right Act. I am encouraged that we were 
able to reach consensus on many of the provisions I have supported in 
the past, and that they are represented in this bill.
  I would have liked to go further. I believe we need to increase our 
investment in high-quality child care, and make it easier for child 
care providers to access training and education opportunities that will 
help them become better at caring for children and helping them learn. 
I would like to increase the incentives for States to invest in quality 
ratings and improvement systems, QRIS, which encourage child care 
providers to make continuous improvements in the quality of 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.
  While the authorized appropriations levels in this bill represent a 
16% increase over the next 6 years--we still have a long way to go. 
Nationwide, the number of children served with CCDBG funding from 2012 
to 2013 fell by 47,500 children. In Pennsylvania, nearly 2,800 fewer 
children were served. The important provisions for health, safety, and 
quality in this bill are not without their cost, and Congress must 
fully fund them. No family, child care provider, or State should have 
to make a choice between serving more children or providing quality 
care. We owe our most vulnerable children no less.
  Even with the continued need for more funding, I still believe this 
legislation represents a significant improvement over current law and 
major progress for families. For the first time, we are requiring all 
States to develop robust health and safety standards, and to institute 
a consistent background check system for child care 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 a year of care before 
their eligibility is re-determined, promoting stability and continuity 
for the entire family and encouraging the child to develop strong 
relationships with his or her teachers and peers in child care.
  We are increasing the investment in quality, from the 4 percent per 
year currently required in law to 9 percent within 5 years, and 
including a separate set-aside for infants and toddlers. Quality is a 
continuum, and a continual investment; it is not a one-time purchase, 
it is something we need to support and sustain.
  I thank Chairman Harkin, Ranking Member Alexander, and Senator 
Mikulski and Senator Burr again for all of the work that they and their 
staff have done to get us to this point. When Congress works together 
children and family in this Nation all benefit. With the President's 
signature, parents can rest a little easier knowing that when they 
leave their child at child care, they will receive great care.

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