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 Gov-
ernment 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, particu-
larly 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;
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 Fed-
eral child care policy should enable and encourage par-
ents to spend more time with their children;
Whereas nearly 1⁄2 of preschool children have at-home moth-
ers 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 chil-
dren 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 as-
sistance 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 fa-
ther may be at home for their young child: Now, there-
fore, be it
HCON 202 RFS
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That the Congress recognizes that—
(1) many American families make enormous
sacrifices to forgo a second income in order to have
a parent care for their child at home;
(2) there should be no bias against at-home
parents;
(3) parents choose many legitimate forms of
child care to meet their individual needs—an at-
home parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, neighbor,
nanny, preschool, or child care center;
(4) child care needs of at-home parents and
working parents should be given careful consider-
ation by the Congress;
(5) any quality child care proposal should re-
flect careful consideration of providing financial re-
lief for those families where there is an at-home par-
ent; and
(6) mothers and fathers who have chosen and
continue to choose to be at home should be ap-
plauded for their efforts.
Passed the House of Representatives February 11,
1998.
Attest:
ROBIN H. CARLE,
Clerk.