[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Page 3490]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  SENATE EMPLOYEES' CHILD CARE CENTER

  Mr. HARKIN. Madam President, I wish to recognize the 30th anniversary 
of a special place in our Senate community--the Senate employees' 
childcare center. The teachers and administrators at the center are 
some of the unsung heroes of the Senate, and it is a privilege to be 
able to pay tribute to them today.
  The Senate employees' childcare center opened its doors on February 
27, 1984, as the result of a small group of Senate employees who came 
together as parents to create a childcare program for their children 
that would best meet the unique needs of Senate employees. Although 
operating out of different buildings, the center has been in continuous 
operation since its opening day. In 1989, the center became the first 
childcare center in Washington, DC, to receive accreditation by the 
National Association for the Education of Young Children--a hallmark of 
quality in the child care world--and it has remained accredited ever 
since.
  Over the years the center has grown in size and has moved locations 
several times, but one thing that has never changed is the center's 
commitment to excellence. Through the dedicated efforts of its 
administrators and faculty, the center provides an exceptional level of 
care and a top-notch early childhood education program. While adhering 
to rigorous standards, the center also remains a warm and close-knit 
community. It is now a separate nonprofit governed by a parent board of 
directors, and all of the parents regularly donate their time and their 
energy--from organizing the center's library to washing crib sheets and 
blankets--to ensure that the center runs smoothly. It is a place where 
everyone knows every child's name and where children rush in the doors 
in the morning with smiles on their faces because they know they are 
going to a place where they will be welcomed, where they will learn, 
and where they will be loved.
  That loving environment is provided by the people who are truly the 
heart of the Senate childcare center--its teachers. Childcare workers 
perform some of the most difficult and most important jobs in our 
society. Their job is far more than feeding, diapering, and keeping 
children safe. They help develop young minds in the earliest, most 
critical developmental years. Childcare workers don't do their jobs for 
the money, and they often don't get the respect they deserve. They do 
their jobs because they love children and they love being a part of 
watching them grow.
  The center is blessed with a particularly exceptional faculty--many 
of the teachers have been there for decades. They have watched the 
children they have cared for grow up, go to college, get married, and 
have children of their own, and they are still there with open arms and 
loving hearts for the next generation of children that walk through the 
door. Though they are not technically public employees, there is no 
doubt that they are dedicated public servants who make an invaluable 
contribution to the Senate community.
  I want to particularly recognize a few of the most longstanding 
faculty members at the center. Phyllis Green, the lead teacher in the 
center's toddler room, has been with the center all 30 years of its 
operation. Parents describe her as a warm, steady, and nurturing 
presence, who has helped countless children discover the world and gain 
new skills and new independence. Anyone who can spend 30 years with 
toddlers is truly a remarkable individual, and I applaud ``Ms. 
Phyllis'' for her years of service. Other teachers with longstanding 
service include the center's beloved assistant director, Bridgette 
Waters, who is marking her 20th year this year, teachers Janet Green-
Tucker, Joan Middleton, Michelle Buckner, and Rosa Woodard, each of 
whom has served, or will soon serve, 20 years or more with the center, 
and teachers Pia Corona, Tangela Cassell-Johnson, Andrea Henriques, 
Kellie Salley, and Mishele Torbati, each of whom has served, or will 
soon have served, 10 years or more.
  I would also like to recognize the 9 years of service provided by the 
center's departing director, Christine Schoppe Wauls, who will leave 
our community at the end of the month to enjoy her well-deserved 
retirement. Christine, thank you for your years of service to the 
Senate community. Indeed, the entire faculty and staff of the center 
deserve our respect and gratitude for the important work that they do 
each day.
  I have often said that when a staffer signs up to work for the 
Senate, their whole family really signs up for public service. Senate 
families make many sacrifices so that a parent--or sometimes both 
parents--can serve the Senate. For the parents who send their children 
to the Senate childcare center, the difficult balancing act of work and 
family is made just a little bit easier.
  It is a great comfort to Senate staffers to know that their children 
are in such wonderful care. It is a great comfort to us as Senators to 
know that our staff can do their jobs well without worrying about their 
children's safety and well-being. We would be a better country if every 
working American could have the same kind of security and peace of mind 
when they go to work each day.
  So on this, the 30th anniversary of the Senate employees' childcare 
center, I offer my congratulations to the center for achieving this 
important milestone and my very best wishes for many more years of 
service.

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