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2001 SESSION

003952928
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 259
Offered January 24, 2000
Establishing a joint subcommittee to study training and retaining child care workers.
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Patrons-- Scott, Almand, Jackson, McEachin and Van Landingham
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Referred to Committee on Rules
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WHEREAS, approximately 13 million American children are in out-of-home child care programs, and a child's early child care and education experiences have a dramatic effect on his or her development; and

WHEREAS, in 1997, the Center for the Child Care Workforce published its study, Worthy Work, Unlivable Wages, which confirmed the instability of the child care workforce, the mediocre quality of center-based care available to young children, and the detrimental impact of these conditions on young children's development in five metropolitan areas: Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Phoenix, and Seattle; and

WHEREAS, wages for child care professionals nationwide have stagnated at a near-poverty level and training requirements are low; and

WHEREAS, child care centers are reporting high levels of job turnover and difficulty attracting and retaining qualified teaching staff; and

WHEREAS, inconsistent care and under-staffing potentially lead to unsafe conditions for children; and

WHEREAS, research has found that child care providers who have participated in early childhood training and attended courses in higher education settings are more nurturing and provide their students with more learning experiences and more interactions; and

WHEREAS, several states are exploring policies to link the professional education and training of providers with higher wages or benefits that would then lead to lower rates of teacher turnover and retention of qualified staff; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That a joint subcommittee be established to study training and retaining child care workers. The joint subcommittee shall be composed of eleven members, which shall include seven legislative members and four nonlegislative citizen and ex officio members as follows: four members of the House of Delegates, to be appointed by the Speaker; three members of the Senate, to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections; one citizen member to be appointed by the Speaker; one citizen member to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections; and the Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System and a representative of the Virginia Workforce Council to serve ex officio.

In conducting its study, the joint subcommittee shall study ways to improve the education, training, financial rewards, and job stability of child care professionals in order to enhance child day care program quality in the Commonwealth.

The direct costs of this study shall not exceed $8,600.

The Division of Legislative Services shall provide staff support for the study. Technical assistance shall be provided by the Department of Social Services and the Virginia Employment Commission. All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the joint subcommittee, upon request.

The joint subcommittee shall complete its work in time to submit its findings and recommendations to the Governor, the Commission on Early Childhood and Child Day Care Programs, and the 2001 Session of the General Assembly as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents.

Implementation of this resolution is subject to subsequent approval and certification by the Joint Rules Committee. The Committee may withhold expenditures or delay the period for the conduct of the study.