The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“STATEMENTS ON SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Labor was published in the Senate section on pages S3881 on May 2, 2002.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
STATEMENTS ON SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS
______
SENATE RESOLUTION 260--DESIGNATING MAY 1, 2002, AS ``NATIONAL CHILD
CARE WORTHY WAGE DAY''
Mr. CORZINE (for himself, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Cleland, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Feingold, Mrs. Carnahan, and Mrs. Murray) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:
S. Res. 260
Whereas approximately 14,000,000 children are in out-of-home care during part or all of the day so that their parents may work;
Whereas the average salary of early childhood educators is
$16,000 per year, and only \1/3\ have health insurance and even fewer have a pension plan;
Whereas the quality of child care and other early childhood education programs is directly linked to the quality of early childhood educators, and low wages make it difficult to attract qualified individuals to the profession;
Whereas the turnover rate of early childhood educators is approximately 30 percent per year because of low wages and lack of benefits, making it difficult to retain high quality educators, and research has demonstrated that young children require caring relationships to have a consistent presence in their lives for their positive development;
Whereas the compensation of early childhood educators must be commensurate with the importance of the job of helping the young children of the United States develop their social, emotional, physical, and intellectual skills to be ready for school;
Whereas the cost of adequate compensation cannot be funded by further burdening parents with higher child care fees but requires public as well as private resources so that quality care and education is accessible for all families; and
Whereas the Center for the Child Care Workforce and other early childhood education organizations recognize May 1st as National Child Care Worthy Wage Day: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) designates May 1, 2002, as ``National Child Care Worthy Wage Day''; and
(2) requests that the President issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe
``National Child Care Worthy Wage Day'' by--
(A) honoring early childhood educators and programs in their communities; and
(B) working together to resolve the early childhood educator compensation crisis.
Mr. CORZINE. Mr. President, I rise today to submit a resolution designating May 1, 2002 as National Child Care Worthy Wage Day. On May 1 each year, child care providers and other early childhood professionals nationwide conduct public awareness and education efforts highlighting the importance of early childhood education. I hope these efforts will bring attention to early childhood education and the importance of attracting and retaining qualified child care workers.
Every day, approximately 14 million children are cared for outside the home so that their parents can work. This figure includes six million of our Nation's infants and toddlers. Children begin to learn at birth, and the quality of care they receive will affect them for the rest of their lives. Early child care affects language development, math skills, social behavior, and general readiness for school. Experienced child care workers can identify children who have development or emotional problems and provide the care they need to take on life's challenges. Through the creative use of play, structured activities and individual attention, child care workers help their charges learn about the world around them and how to interact with others.
The dedicated individuals who nurture and teach our Nation's young children are undervalued despite the importance of their work. The average salary of a child care worker is approximately $16,000 annually. According to the Department of Labor, in 1998, the middle 50 percent of child care workers and pre-school teachers earned between
$5.82 and $8.13 an hour. The lowest 10 percent of child care workers were paid an hourly wage of $5.49 or less. Only one third of our Nation's child care workers have health insurance and even fewer have pension plans. This grossly inadequate level of wages and benefits for child care staff has led to difficulties in attracting and retaining high quality caretakers and educators. As a result, the turnover rate for child care providers is 30 percent a year. This high turnover rate interrupts consistent and stable relationships that children need to have with their caregivers.
To address this issue, Senator Dodd and I have introduced the ``Focus On Committed and Underpaid Staff for Children's Sake Act,'' a bill that would establish a grant and scholarship program for child care providers.
I encourage my colleagues to join me in recognizing the importance of the service that child care workers provide and the need to increase their compensation accordingly. The Nation's child care workforce, the families who depend on them, and the next generation of children that they care for deserve our support.
____________________
