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Letter to Harry Reid, Majority Leader, and Mitch McConnell, Minority Leader, - Passage of New Plan to Provide Background Checks for Childcare Workers

Letter

Date: Dec. 9, 2013
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Issues: Business and Consumers Minors and Children

Dear Majority Leader Reid and Republican Leader McConnell:

I write to request that you work together to ensure that the Senate is able to take up and pass S. 1086, the Child Care and Development Block Grant Reauthorization Act of 2013, at the earliest opportunity.

The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) has not been reauthorized since 1996. In the nearly two decades since, our understanding of early childhood development, and the importance of high-quality child care and early learning, has expanded dramatically.

Investing in high-quality early learning opportunities such as child care and pre-K sets children on the path to success. We must update federal standards to ensure that the federal government is supporting high-quality child care for low-income children. S. 1086 sets a new standard for child care in America, making sure that federal dollars are going to providers who are committed to providing child care that meets certain criteria, such as health and safety standards.

One of the important components of S. 1086 is Section 7, which would implement federal standards for criminal background checks for child care providers. While every state requires some form of background check, the records searched and the stringency of the search (e.g. whether the Sex Offender Registry is searched, and whether fingerprints are included as well as the name of the individual when a state criminal background check is run) vary widely. Establishing a standard set of background checks for all states will ensure that children being cared for outside their home are protected from individuals with known criminal records.

I urge you to consider S. 1086 as a priority for passage. This legislation has been carefully developed with significant input from Senators and the wider community, and represents a sensible path forward to improving the Child Care and Development Block Grant.

Sincerely,

Robert P. Casey, Jr.

United States Senator


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