IV

105TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. RES. 131

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Federal commitment to early childhood development programs should be supported

by sufficient funding to meet the needs of infants and toddlers in the

areas of health, nutrition, education, and child care.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

APRIL 24, 1997

Mr. KENNEDY of Massachusetts submitted the following resolution; which was

referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that

the Federal commitment to early childhood development

programs should be supported by sufficient funding to

meet the needs of infants and toddlers in the areas

of health, nutrition, education, and child care.

Whereas in 1995, there were 11,800,000 children younger

than age three in the United States and about one in

four of these children lived in poor families (with annual

incomes less than $12,158 for a family of three);

Whereas groundbreaking scientific research shows that children’s experiences during their first three years of life determine how the intricate circuitry of their brains are

‘‘wired’’ and lay the foundation for their future development;
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Whereas failure to provide young children what they need

during this period has long-term consequences and costs

for the larger society;

Whereas children need certain supports such as a close and

supportive relationship with their parents and other nurturing adults, good health care and adequate nutrition,

good child care, and strong families with sufficient incomes to provide children with the essentials necessary

for sound development during these critical years if they

are to thrive and grow to be contributing adults;

Whereas in 1995, about one out of every seven children under

the age of three had no health insurance and were therefore more likely to experience poorer health and to go

without cost-effective preventive care, and were less likely

to see a doctor;

Whereas about one out of five pregnant women in America

did not get early prenatal care in 1994;

Whereas children born to mothers who do not get prenatal

care are more likely to be born with dangerously low

birthweight and need costly newborn care;

Whereas in 1994–1995, more than half of the States had as

many as one out of every four children between 19

months and three years of age who were not fully immunized against childhood diseases;

Whereas children who are not immunized are more likely to

contact preventable diseases which can cause long-term

harm;

Whereas malnutrition during a child’s early years has far

more devastating consequences than at later points in

such child’s life, and can seriously inhibit children’s

growth and development;
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Whereas low-income children are at particular risk to be severely underweight and clinically malnourished;

Whereas three out of five mothers with children younger than

three were in the labor force in 1995, with many, therefore, relying on child care centers or family child care

homes to care for their children while they work;

Whereas studies show children in poor quality care are more

likely to have delayed cognitive and language development

and prereading skills, are more likely to spend substantial

amounts of unoccupied time not engaged in social interactions, are more likely to be insecurely attached to their

caregivers, and are more likely to display aggression; and

Whereas child care for infants and toddlers is in short supply, with three out of four parents of young children in

a national poll stating there is an insufficient supply of

child care for infants in their communities: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved,

2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

3 This resolution may be cited as the ‘‘Zero to Three

4 Resolution for Early Childhood Development’’.

5 SEC. 2. SENSE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

6 It is the sense of the House of Representatives that—

7 (1) sufficient funding should be provided to

8 meet the needs of infants and toddlers through—

9 (A) the Healthy Start program established

10 under section 301 of the Public Health Service

11 Act (42 U.S.C. 241);
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1 (B) the special supplemental nutrition pro2 gram for women, infants, and children (WIC)

3 established under section 17 of the Child Nutri4 tion Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786);

5 (C) Head Start programs and those pro6 grams under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C.

7 9831 et seq.) that provide services for families

8 with infants and toddlers;

9 (D) programs for infants and toddlers with

10 disabilities under part H of the Individuals with

11 Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1471 et

12 seq.); and

13 (E) programs under the Child Care and

14 Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42

15 U.S.C. 9858 et seq.); and

16 (2) legislation should be enacted during the

17 105th Congress to expand health insurance to pro18 vide coverage for all of America’s uninsured chil19 dren.

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