[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 5540]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 436--DESIGNATING THE WEEK OF APRIL 22 THROUGH 28, 
                2012, AS THE ``WEEK OF THE YOUNG CHILD''

  Mr. BEGICH submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 436

       Whereas there are 20,000,000 children under the age of 5 in 
     the United States;
       Whereas numerous studies show that high-quality early 
     childhood education programs improve the likelihood that 
     children will have success in school and in life by improving 
     their cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development;
       Whereas many children eligible for, and in need of, high-
     quality child care, Early Head Start, Head Start, and other 
     early childhood education programs are not served by such 
     programs;
       Whereas child care assistance and other early childhood 
     education programs enable parents to work, go to school, and 
     support their families;
       Whereas the individuals who work with young children 
     deserve the respect of the people of the United States, 
     professional support, and fair compensation to reflect the 
     important value of their work;
       Whereas economist and Nobel Laureate James Heckman has 
     stated that investment in childhood education reaps economic 
     returns due to outcomes such as lower special education 
     placements, lower juvenile delinquency rates, and greater 
     school graduation rates; and
       Whereas the National Association for the Education of Young 
     Children established the ``Week of the Young Child'' to bring 
     attention to the developmental and learning needs of young 
     children: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates the week of April 22 through 28, 2012, as 
     the ``Week of the Young Child'';
       (2) encourages the people of the United States to 
     celebrate--
       (A) young children and families; and
       (B) the individuals who provide high-quality care and early 
     childhood education to the young children of the United 
     States; and
       (3) urges the people of the United States to recognize the 
     importance of--
       (A) high-quality, comprehensive early childhood education 
     programs; and
       (B) the value of those programs for preparing children to--
       (i) experience positive development and education; and
       (ii) enjoy lifelong success.

  Mr. BEGICH. Mr. President, today I rise to submit a resolution to 
recognize the Week of the Young Child.
  My resolution recognizes April 22 to 28 as the Week of the Young 
Child. This week in Alaska, and in States and communities across the 
Nation, we celebrate and bring greater awareness to the importance of 
the early years of children's lives.
  The Week of the Young Child officially began in 1971 as an annual 
observance and public education effort of the National Association for 
the Education of Young Children, the Nation's oldest and recognized 
leader in early childhood education for children from birth through age 
8, to reach out to families and communities and to emphasize the 
crucial role adults play in giving children the foundation they need to 
succeed in school and beyond.
  This week focuses attention on the importance of children's early 
years. Early childhood educators, librarians, United Ways, and other 
organizations provide a range of activities to highlight how each of us 
can help children and families thrive. This is a national issue as well 
as local issue. Federal policy and funding is a significant component 
of early childhood education in this country, from Early Head Start and 
Head Start to the Child Care and Development Block Grant as well as 
Title I and even higher education financial aid and teacher support 
programs for the early childhood education workforce. Yet our 
investments remain inadequate, especially when you consider the work of 
noted economists such as James Heckman on the return on investment to 
our Nation's economy. Today, not quite half of the poorest preschoolers 
in our country can enroll in Head Start and only 3 percent of the 
babies and toddlers who could benefit from Early Head Start can attend 
because of inadequate resources. Child care assistance reaches only one 
in seven eligible children, making it harder for families to have 
stable jobs and for children to have safe and nurturing places to grow 
and learn. The committed individuals who work in child care earn 
woefully inadequate salaries, often without health care or retirement 
support.
  I hope all of my colleagues will find out more about the activities 
celebrating the Week of the Young Child in their States and can show 
their support for families and the professionals who work with young 
children every day.

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