[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 149 (Thursday, September 14, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1226]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





 APPLAUDING UNANIMOUS PASSAGE OF AMENDMENT TO PREVENT FEDERAL FUNDING 
                FROM GOING TO UNSAFE CHILD CARE CENTERS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. TERRI A. SEWELL

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 14, 2017

  Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I rise to the Chairman and 
Ranking Member of the Labor HHS Appropriations Subcommittee for 
accepting the amendment I introduced with Ranking Member Bobby Scott 
earlier this week. My amendment would prevent the flow of Child Care 
Development Block Grants to any child care providers with a record of 
health and safety violations that have resulted in injury or death at 
their centers. This amendment was drafted following the tragic death of 
five-year old Kamden Johnson at an unlicensed daycare center in my home 
state of Alabama.
  For those of you who have not heard his story, Kamden Johnson died 
this August after being left in a hot daycare van at the preschool he 
was attending. His body was found later that day dumped at the side of 
the road.
  Kamden's story is heartbreaking. First, because a young life was cut 
tragically short. Secondly, Kamden's death was preventable. Due to a 
state exemption for religious affiliated daycare centers, Kamden's 
daycare center was not subject to state oversight or inspections. As a 
matter of fact, the driver who was responsible for Kamden when he died 
had an extensive criminal record.
  Despite Kamden's death, and despite the failure of Kamden's daycare 
center to meet commonsense safety standards, the childcare provider and 
other unregulated childcare centers like it can be eligible today for 
federal grant funding. After one of their children was discovered dead 
by the side of the road, this daycare center can still receive Child 
Care Development Block Grants.
  On the opposite end of the spectrum, safe childcare centers which 
care for their children and are subject to regular inspection are 
struggling to make ends meet. Just this year, available slots at Head 
Start Programs were cut in four counties in my district. Each of the 
slots cut represent one more child who will not receive an early 
education, or who may be forced to attend an unlicensed daycare 
facility that puts their health and safety at risk.
  I am a believer that Congress should act to increase funding for Head 
Start and that funding early learning is one of the best investments we 
can make in our country's future. But at a time when funding for early 
learning is limited, it is our responsibility to ensure that federal 
resources are going to the best possible daycares and preschools.
  As of last year, there were 943 daycare centers in Alabama exempt 
from basic licensing standards. Over 30 Alabama legislators have come 
together to support a bipartisan bill extending licensing requirements 
to facilities currently exempt.
  Right now, we have an opportunity to ensure that not one more federal 
dollar goes to a daycare center like the one that Kamden died at. We 
have a chance for both parties to work together and ensure that federal 
dollars for early learning are headed to child care centers that 
parents can trust meet basic health and safety standards.
  My amendment is a commonsense fix following a tragedy that we cannot 
and should not allow to happen again. Kamden's death this August was 
not the first child death at an unregulated daycare center in my state, 
and it will not be the last so long as we continue to fund centers that 
violate health and safety standards. For our children, for our parents, 
and for kids like Kamden, I know that we can and must do better.
  I am proud that Congress has taken a step in addressing this major 
oversight in the funding of our nation's day care centers.
  There is nothing more important to me than seeing our children learn 
and grow, and that starts with making sure our resources for early 
learning are going to the right place.

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