Senator DODD. Thank you, Mr. Ball. Believe me, if I could achieve the latter objective somehow, I am sure I would be applauded wildly. As I mentioned earlier, I think most statistics prove that both men and women-and particularly a vast increase in the number of women of late-are in the work force out of economic necessity. But I wanted to tell you, before going to Ms. Lyss, that in terms of the issues you have raised surrounding sections 19 and 20, an ongoing series of discussions is taking place. As you may be aware, there are ongoing discussions on how to deal with those particular sections. Many of the points you have raised are ones that you would not get any argument on from this chairman or others; they have to be addressed. And you are absolutely correct that there are religious institutions across this country that provide a tremendous service. And that, I would hope, is going to be resolved-at least on that particular point-to your satisfaction. Whether or not it is to your complete satisfaction and to others', I don't know obviously. But I wanted you to know that there is an ongoing effort. With regard to the advisory panel, I would just point out to you that what we have set up here is pretty much boilerplate language that is used by HHS in a variety of other areas. Obviously, anything we do in this realm is always subject to publication, public comment and the like. So it is not a question as some would fear, of just establishing the panel and getting some recommendations and then forcing them down the gullets of the American people. I suspect a lot of the concerns expressed by the institutions that you represent probably have more to do with local health and safety standards than the question of minimum requirements for a certain amount of background and training for child care workers. But again, I am not here to speak for you, obviously; you have done very well on behalf of the association. We appreciate your being here. You brought up some very good points. I especially wanted you to know-I don't know if you were here earlier this morning when I mentioned it-about the ongoing effort to try and resolve the issues surrounding sections 19 and 20. But you have articulated some of them very well here in your statement, and we appreciate it very, very much. Ms. Lyss. Ms. Lyss. Thank you. The National Council of Jewish Women is an organization with 100,000 members. We operate over 2,000 services projects in communities throughout the United States. Since NCJW's establishment in 1893, our organization has been concerned with the rights, needs and quality of life of the Nation's children. Today I would like to talk about why NCJW believes that the ABC bill is an important response to the current child care crisis and a necessary investment in the future of our Nation. The lack of affordable, available, quality child care is not a new issue. In 1972, "Windows on Day Care," NCJW's landmark survey of day care in America, cited an acute and intensifying shortage of developmental day care and reported highly disturbing deficiencies in available services. NCJW supports ABC's goals to increase the accessibility of quality, affordable child care. Through our studies, we have seen the churches and religious organizations play an active role as partners in the provision of child care services. NCJW is working with the other child care advocates that you mentioned to ensure that this partnership is consistent with the constitutional principle of separation of church and state. Only with this insurance can this partnership flourish. The issues we identified in "Windows on Day Care" more than 16 years ago are the same today. NCJW's commitment to bettering child care has not diminished. We are preparing right now a national campaign, "Challenge for Community Action," that will focus on problems of child care in local communities. The NCJW Center for the Child, a research institute, has been addressing work and family issues. "Mothers in the Workplace," our inaugural project, is a national study of how working parents reconcile the conflicting demands of work and child care. The field research conducted by more than 1,000 volunteers throughout the country revealed much about the infant care problems of the 2,620 working women interviewed. When moderate and lower income parents are forced to arrange child care outside the extended family, the costs become prohibitive, and the quality of care frequently suffers. Our study indicated that families with household incomes below $25,000 spend on average 17 percent of their household income on child care. This compares to 7.5 percent for families with incomes of $25,000 and more. Senator Hatch and others have all said, and I agree, that we cannot continue to have this kind of a two-tiered system. The responsibility for the provision of child care services must be shared by many partners, including all levels of government, employers, service providers, consumers, and voluntary organizations. Some say it is the responsibility of the State to meet the child care needs of its families, and that is partially true. However, a State's response to the child care crisis is more dependent on its economy than the number of children needing child care. States alone cannot fill all the child care needs of this Nation. Some say it is the responsibility of employers to meet the child care needs of their employees, and that is also partially true. The findings that were mentioned earlier from the recent Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that some of the Nation's workplace are in fact providing child care, but most of it is nonfinancial assist ance. Contrary to some reports based on employer's experiences, findings from the "Mothers in the Workplace" study indicated that working mothers find employer-provided child care benefits very useful. When working mothers were not offered child care benefits and were asked whether they would find them helpful, their responses were overwhelmingly affirmative. As a research coordinator of the "Mothers" study in St. Louis, MO, I interviewed women both before and after the birth of a child. Their overriding concern, which cut across all ethnic, racial, and socio-economic backgrounds was child care. In addition, the women in our study who had difficulty with their child care arrangements reported high levels of stress at home and an inability to function well on the job. Clearly, employers play an important role in any child care partnership. But they alone cannot be expected to meet the needs of working parents. The role of the Federal Government has decreased. The largest source of Federal child care assistance, title XX, has been dramatically reduced. The Federal Government must assume the lead role in responding to the child care needs of America's families. Despite efforts in my State of Missouri to increase the supply, there are still 2,000 children waiting for day care. There are 67,886 children under the age of six living below the poverty level. There are 6,775 slots provided by title XX. Mothers want to finish job training or get a job, but without day care, they face unacceptable choices. I think we heard those this morning from the parents on the panel. The choices are to stay on welfare, or go to work and frequently leave their children unattended. At the present time, the State's subsidized day care program in Missouri is shut down, and no families are being approved. The amount the State reimburses for day care, approximately $37 per week, is so much less than the actual cost of care that some centers are limiting the number of children they accept and may soon reach the point where they will not accept them at all. So we find many children waiting outside the door with little or no hope of getting inside to receive safe day care. Sixteen years ago, NCJW's "Windows on Day Care" called for a Federal appropriation of $2 billion for 1973 to expand and improve quality day care services. It is saddening that there has been so little progress over the last 16 years. It is heartening, however, that today there is a renewed interest and fervor in the child care issue across the political spectrum. It is time to take the first step in developing a national child care policy that provides the resources to support America's families in their quest to be both productive workers and caring parents. NCJW is proud to have had this opportunity to support and speak on behalf of the ABC. Senator DODD. Thank you very much. [The prepared statement of Ms. Lyss follows:] SUBMITTED TO THE U.S. SENATE LABOR & HUMAN RESOURCES COMMITTEE I am Lynn Lyss, National Vice President of the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW). NCJW is the oldest Jewish women's organization in America with 100,000 active volunteers in 200 communities nationwide. Since NCJW's establishment in 1893, when volunteers worked to gain the passage of child labor laws, the organization has been concerned with the rights, needs and quality of life of the nation's children and youth. Research, advocacy and community service form NCJW's combined approach to its six priority areas of women's issues, Israel, aging, Jewish life, constitutional rights, and children and youth. Today I would like to talk about why NCJW believes that the Act for Better Child Care Services (ABC/S. 1885) is an important response to the current child care crisis and a necessary investment in the future of this nation. ABC, a comprehensive child care initiative, provides an infrastructure solution and begins to respond to a critical need of America's low and middle income families with children. It would provide states with new federal funds to make child care more affordable for low and moderate income families; increase the number of child care facilities and qualified day care staff available to all families; and improve the quality of day care services, help coordinate child care resources, and encourage a range of day care options SO parents can find appropriate services for their children. The Child Care Crisis new The lack of affordable, available and quality child care is not a issue--either for the nation or NCJW. Windows on Day Care, NCJW's landmark study of the 1970's, was one of the first to bring attention to the problems of our day care system. 90-587-88 - 7 The report tells the story of what members of our organization in 77 of their local Sections saw when they examined existing day care needs and services in their communities. In 1972, Windows on Day Care reported that not only was there "an acute shortage of developmental day care services in the United States... but (that) this shortage is intensifying. Millions of children are being deprived of opportunities for the care and development which should be their birthright." In many communities volunteers found that "an eight or tenfold or even greater expansion of comprehensive quality day care would be necessary to meet existing needs." All 77 city reports summarized in the study indicated not only a serious quantitative shortage but also highly disturbing deficiencies in the quality of services available. One-fifth of the centers visited were regarded as "poor," nearly one-half-primarily custodial--were rated "fair," and less than one-third considered of "good" or "superior" quality. Unfortunately, the problem of yesterday is the crisis of today: over-crowded conditions; long waiting lists; under-funded support systems; growing numbers of latch-key and lock-in children; inadequately trained and poorly paid providers. The issues identified more than 16 years ago in NCJW's Windows on Day Care are the same--the times, however, have changed. In 1972, there were only 12 million working mothers. Since the 1970's, there has been a 108% increase in the number of married mothers with infants under the age of one in the workforce. Today, there are 50 million women in the workforce who make up 44% of the total labor force. And over 80% will become mothers during their working lives. In 1985, 84% of black working mothers, 69% of white working mothers, and 79% of Hispanic working mothers worked full-time. 1.7 million of these working women became pregnant. Most of these women took only brief leaves of absence from work for childbirth. With the influx of women in the labor force comes the increased need for child care. Presently an estimated nine million children in the U.S. need day care--a figure estimated to rise by three million in the next three years. And by 1995, 2/3 of all pre-school children and four out of five school-age children will have mothers in the workforce. As Women are in the workforce to stay, and yet our national policy does not reflect this very significant and permanent change. the number of children with working mothers has grown dramatically, there has been no corresponding commitment on part of the federal government to invest in good child care. the |
