Submitted Resolutions

Floor Speech

SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS -- (Senate - April 16, 2008)

SENATE RESOLUTION 517--DESIGNATING THE WEEK OF APRIL 13-19, 2008, AS ``WEEK OF THE YOUNG CHILD''

Mr. SALAZAR (for himself, Mr. Cochran, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Alexander, Mr. Levin, Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. Brown, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Casey, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Roberts, and Mr. Johnson) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

S. Res. 517

Whereas there are 20,000,000 children under the age of 5 in the United States;

Whereas numerous studies, including the Abecedarian Study, the Study of the Chicago Child-Parent Center, and the High/Scope Perry Preschool Study, indicate that low income children who have enrolled in quality, comprehensive early childhood education programs--

(1) improve their cognitive, language, physical, social, and emotional development; and

(2) are less likely to--

(A) be placed in special education;

(B) drop out of school; or

(C) engage in juvenile delinquency;

Whereas the enrollment rates of children under the age of 5 in early childhood education programs have steadily increased since 1965 with--

(1) the creation of the Head Start program carried out under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.);

(2) the establishment of the Early Head Start program carried out under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.); and

(3) the enactment of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858 et seq.);

Whereas many children eligible for, and in need of, quality early childhood education services are not served;

Whereas only about one-half of all preschoolers who are eligible to participate in Head Start programs have the opportunity to do so;

Whereas less than 5 percent of all eligible babies and toddlers in the United States receive the opportunity to participate in Early Head Start;

Whereas only about 1 out of every 7 eligible children receives assistance under section 658C of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858a) to--

(1) enable the parents of the child to continue working; and

(2) provide the child with safe and nurturing early childhood care and education;

Whereas, although State and local governments have responded to the numerous benefits of early childhood education by making significant investments in programs and classrooms, there remains--

(1) a large unmet need for those services; and

(2) a need to improve the quality of those programs;

Whereas, according to numerous studies on the impact of investments in high-quality early childhood education, the programs reduce--

(1) the occurrence of students failing to complete secondary school; and

(2) future costs relating to special education and juvenile crime; and

Whereas economist and Nobel Laureate, James Heckman, and Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Ben S. Bernanke, have stated that investment in childhood education is of critical importance to the future of the United States: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate--

(1) designates the week of April 13-19, 2008, as ``Week of the Young Child'';

(2) encourages the citizens of the United States to celebrate--

(A) young children; and

(B) the citizens who provide care and early childhood education to the young children of the United States; and

(3) urges the citizens of the United States to recognize the importance of--

(A) quality, comprehensive early childhood education programs; and

(B) the value of those services for preparing children to--

(i) appreciate future educational experiences; and

(ii) enjoy lifelong success.

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