Bill Text: IL SR0954 | 2021-2022 | 102nd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Declares April 2-8, 2022 as the Week of the Young Child and April 30, 2022 as El Dia Del Niño (Children's Day). Recognizes the complex, valuable, essential, and demanding work of early childhood educators and recognizes that when our society invests in educators, we also invest in children and families. Urges communities to support efforts that increase access to high–quality early childhood education for all children and families.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2022-04-09 - Resolution Adopted [SR0954 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2021-SR0954-Introduced.html

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SR0954 LRB102 27113 MST 38539 r
SENATE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The first years of a child's life are the period
of the most rapid brain development and lay the foundation for
all future learning; children's cognitive, physical, social
and emotional, and language and literacy development are built
on the foundation of positive interactions with adults, peers,
and their environment; and
WHEREAS, There are 916,880 children birth through age five
in our State, 19% of whom live in families with incomes at or
below 100% Federal Poverty Level; and
WHEREAS, In Illinois, 69% of children have all available
parents in the workforce; and
WHEREAS, High-quality early childhood programs provide
important benefits to children, families, and our state and
national economies; and
WHEREAS, High-quality early care and education can help
ameliorate the effects of poverty, detect and remediate
delays, identify and help prevent child neglect, and lead to
positive outcomes for individual children, helping them be
better prepared for school and more likely to succeed in life;
and

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WHEREAS, Participation in high–quality early childhood
education saves taxpayer dollars, makes working families more
economically secure, and prepares children to succeed in
school, earn higher wages, and live healthier lives; and
WHEREAS, Many early childhood educators do not have
equitable, affordable access to needed early childhood
education credentials and degrees; in Illinois, 70% of
licensed early childhood educators have earned degrees; and
WHEREAS, Tuition from fee–paying parents and subsidy rates
for families with low incomes are typically insufficient to
afford consistent early childhood education with
highly–qualified early childhood educators and low
child–to–early educator ratios that ensure the health and
safety of children; and
WHEREAS, Payment rates provided to early childhood
educators to provide high–quality early care and education
services to low–income children do not cover the costs of
quality; and
WHEREAS, The lack of sufficient public investment in the
face of the COVID-19 pandemic has forced child care programs,
educators, and families into a series of impossible choices

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with devastating consequences; and
WHEREAS, The essential yet chronically undervalued child
care sector has sacrificed and struggled to serve children and
families since the start of the COVID pandemic; therefore, be
it
RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL
ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare April 2-8,
2022 as the Week of the Young Child and April 30, 2022 as El
Dia Del Niño (Children's Day) in the State of Illinois; and be
it further
RESOLVED, That we recognize the complex, valuable,
essential, and demanding work of early childhood educators and
recognize that when our society invests in educators, we also
invest in children and families; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we urge all communities to support efforts
that increase access to high–quality early childhood education
for all children and families.