[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 34, Number 11 (Monday, March 16, 1998)]
[Pages 400-401]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Memorandum on Steps To Improve Federally Sponsored Child Care

March 10, 1998

Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies

Subject: Steps to Improve Federally Sponsored Child Care

    Now more than ever, America's working parents are struggling to 
balance their obligations to be good workers--and their more important 
obligations to be good parents. By choice or by financial necessity, 
millions of Americans rely on child care to care for their children for 
part of each day. Parents deserve to know that their children are safe 
and nurtured in child care.
    One of my highest priorities is to make child care better, safer, 
and more affordable. That is why my balanced budget includes the most 
significant investment in child care in our Nation's history and 
proposes specific measures to improve child care quality.
    As a supplier of child care and as an employer that must recruit and 
retain a strong workforce, the Federal Government should lead the way in 
improving child care. I am proud that our military has developed one of 
the finest child care delivery systems in the world, and that the 
Department of Defense, at my request, is sharing its expertise with the 
public and private sectors. Still, we need to do more. The executive 
branch of the Federal Government has responsibility for over 1,000 child 
care centers--788 through the military, 109 through the General Services 
Administration, and 127 through other Federal departments. In addition, 
the military oversees nearly 10,000 professional family child care 
providers. In total, approximately 215,000 children are in our care.
    Today I am directing my Administration to take significant new steps 
to improve the

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quality of Federally sponsored child care in the executive branch by (1) 
ensuring proper background checks of child care workers; (2) achieving 
100 percent independent accreditation of all eligible centers; (3) 
exploring partnerships among Federal agencies and with the private 
sector to improve child care quality and affordability; and (4) ensuring 
that all Federal workers become better informed of child care benefits 
and the options available to them.
    First, all child care workers in Federally sponsored centers should 
undergo thorough background checks to make sure that our children are 
safe. The vast majority of child care workers are caring people who have 
dedicated their lives to teaching and nurturing children. But one 
tragedy in child care is too many, and criminal and civil background 
checks are necessary to determine whether the people caring for our 
children are fit for this responsibility. The military already has a 
model system to conduct background checks of child care workers. I now 
want to guarantee that workers at all nonmilitary, Federal child care 
facilities undergo such background checks in a thorough and timely 
fashion.
    I therefore direct the Administrator of General Services 
(``Administrator'') to report to me, within 90 days, with a plan to 
ensure complete and timely background checks, to the fullest extent 
possible, for all child care workers in nonmilitary, Federally sponsored 
child care settings. Agencies with oversight of nonmilitary child care 
settings will report to the Administrator within 60 days on this matter.
    Second, all Federally sponsored child care centers should receive 
nationally recognized, independent accreditation as soon as they are 
eligible to do so. Currently, only 76 percent of military centers, and 
35 percent of other Federally sponsored centers, are accredited. By the 
year 2000, 100 percent should be accredited. I therefore direct the 
Secretary of Defense and the Administrator to provide me, within 90 
days, with a plan to ensure, to the fullest extent possible, 
independent, nationally recognized accreditation of all eligible, 
Federally sponsored child care by the year 2000. Agencies with oversight 
of non-military child care settings shall report to the Administrator 
within 60 days on this matter.
    Third, partnerships among Federal agencies and with the private 
sector are an increasingly important way to maximize existing resources 
and improve child care. I therefore direct the Administrator to work 
with the heads of all Federal departments and agencies to explore 
opportunities for collaboration both within Government and with the 
private sector to improve child care quality and affordability in 
Federally sponsored settings.
    Finally, employers have a responsibility to make sure that their 
workers are better informed on child care and the options available to 
them at the national, State, and local levels. I therefore direct the 
Director of the Office of Personnel Management (``Director'') to ensure 
that, to the fullest extent possible, all Federal workers receive full 
information about child care benefits available to them on the Federal, 
State, and local levels, including information on resource and referral 
networks, available tax credits such as the Child and Dependent Care Tax 
Credit and Child Tax Credit, as well as public subsidies. The Director 
shall also host a nationwide summit designed to showcase model public 
and private sector solutions to child care needs.
                                            William J. Clinton