I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2693
To amend the Child Care and Development Grant Act of 1990 to provide
for improved care for young children.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AUGUST 3, 1999
Ms. WOOLSEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and the Workforce
A BILL
To amend the Child Care and Development Grant Act of
1990 to provide for improved care for young children.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) More than one-half of mothers of children
under the age of 1 year are in the labor force.
(2) The first 3 years of life are particularly crit-
ical to a child’s learning.
(3) An Urban Institute study of child care
found shortages of infant care in the majority of the
cities examined.
(4) Most parents believe that there is an insuf-
ficient supply of child care for infants in their com-
munities.
(5) Fewer than 10 percent of vacancies in child
care centers nationwide can be filled by infants and
toddlers.
(6) A study of child care found that, in 12
States, infant care cost 60 percent or more of a par-
ent’s paycheck if the parent was earning at or below
the minimum wage.
(7) Poor quality child care has been shown to
have a serious impact on a child’s development.
(8) The Cost, Quality, and Child Outcomes
study revealed that 40 percent of caregivers for in-
fants and toddlers in child care centers provided
such poor care that the children’s health, safety, and
development were in jeopardy.
SEC. 2. REFERENCE.
Wherever in this Act a section or other provision is
amended, the amendment shall be considered to be made
to that section or other provision of the Child Care and
Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9801
et seq.).
SEC. 3. CHILD CARE ACTIVITIES FOR YOUNG CHILDREN.
(a) GOALS.—Section 658A(b) (42 U.S.C. 9801 note)
is amended
(1) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘and’’;
(2) in paragraph (5), by striking the period and
inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(6) to assist States in improving child care
services for young children.’’.
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section
658B (42 U.S.C. 9858) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘There’’ and inserting ‘‘(a) IN
GENERAL.—There’’; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
‘‘(b) CHILD CARE ACTIVITIES FOR YOUNG CHIL-
DREN.—In addition to amounts appropriated under sub-
section (a), there is authorized to be appropriated to carry
out child care activities for young children under this sub-
chapter $500,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2000
through 2002.’’.
(c) CHILD CARE ACTIVITIES
FOR YOUNG CHIL-
DREN.—The Child Care and Development Block Grant
‘‘(5) Provide and support networks between
health care providers and caregivers, eligible child
care providers, and family child care providers that
provide child care to young children.
‘‘(6) Provide child care services for young chil-
dren who are enrolled in Head Start programs under
the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.).’’.
(d) DEFINITIONS.—Section 658P (42 U.S.C. 9858n)
is amended by adding at the end the following new para-
graph:
‘‘(15) YOUNG
CHILDREN.—The term ‘young
children’ means children who are less than 3 years
of age.’’.
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