III

105TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 202

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

FEBRUARY 12, 1998

Received

APRIL 29, 1998

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the Federal Government should acknowledge the importance of at-home

parents and should not discriminate against families who

forgo a second income in order for a mother or father

to be at home with their children.

Whereas studies have found that quality child care, particularly for infants and young children, requires a sensitive,

interactive, loving, and consistent caregiver;

Whereas most parents meet and exceed the aforementioned

criteria, circumstances allowing, often parental care

marks the best form of child care;
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HCON 202 RFS

Whereas the recent National Institute for Child Health and

Development study found that the greatest factor in the

development of a young child is ‘‘what is happening at

home and in families’’;

Whereas a child’s interaction with his or her parents has the

most significant impact on their development, any Federal child care policy should enable and encourage parents to spend more time with their children;

Whereas nearly 1⁄2 of preschool children have at-home mothers and only 1⁄3 of preschool children have mothers who

are employed full time;

Whereas a large number of low- and middle-income families

sacrifice a second full-time income so that the mother

may be at home with her child;

Whereas the average income of two-parent families with a

single income is $20,000 less than the average income of

two-parent families with two incomes;

Whereas only 30 percent of preschool children are in paid

child care and the remaining 70 percent of preschool children are in families that do not pay for child care, many

of which are low- to middle-income families struggling to

provide child care at home;

Whereas child care proposals should not provide financial assistance solely to the 30 percent of families that pay for

child care and should not discriminate against families in

which children are cared for by an at-home parent; and

Whereas any congressional proposal that increases child care

funding should provide financial relief to families that

sacrifice an entire income in order that a mother or father may be at home for their young child: Now, therefore, be it
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HCON 202 RFS

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That the Congress recognizes that—

3 (1) many American families make enormous

4 sacrifices to forgo a second income in order to have

5 a parent care for their child at home;

6 (2) there should be no bias against at-home

7 parents;

8 (3) parents choose many legitimate forms of

9 child care to meet their individual needs—an at10 home parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, neighbor,

11 nanny, preschool, or child care center;

12 (4) child care needs of at-home parents and

13 working parents should be given careful consider14 ation by the Congress;

15 (5) any quality child care proposal should re16 flect careful consideration of providing financial re17 lief for those families where there is an at-home par18 ent; and

19 (6) mothers and fathers who have chosen and

20 continue to choose to be at home should be ap21 plauded for their efforts.

Passed the House of Representatives February 11,

1998.

Attest: ROBIN H. CARLE,

Clerk.