Tom Harkin: “I want to speak in support of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014, the bill that is before us. It has…”

“I want to speak in support of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014, the bill that is before us. It has taken us a long time to get to this point. I cannot be more pleased that we are on the verge of sending this legislation to the President for his signature. We know--we know--that learning begins at birth and the preparation for education begins even before birth. That is why I am very excited about my committee's bill to reauthorize the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act. This bill will lead to important reforms and improvements to the early care and education of our Nation's children. This bipartisan legislation is also a big win for working families. It helps make it possible for over 1.5 million kids to receive quality childcare every month. The last time we reauthorized the child care block grant was 1996. When we did that, childcare was seen principally as a work support activity and only incidentally as something that could have a great impact on the development of children. Today, backed by impressive scientific research, we know that childcare settings can and should be much more. In addition to providing critical work support for the parents, early childhood settings are now widely recognized as a rich early learning opportunity for all children. So it is not just childcare--we are taking care and watching them so they don't get in trouble--it is now childcare that is part of the learning process.…”