National LCLAA 2008 Membership Convention

9. Resolution: Supporting Quality, Affordable and Safe Child Care

WHEREAS;

LCLAA represents childcare workers and child care home providers and has a huge stake in the growing child

care industry across the nation; and

WHEREAS;

The need of low-income families, either single-parent or two-parent, to have the necessity for safe, quality and

affordable child care has risen dramatically. This industry is growing exponentially as parents are forced to

work longer hours and there is a decrease in extended families providing such services; and

WHEREAS;

Childcare has become a growing industry in the nation and in New York City alone the early care and education

sector of the economy generates $1.9 billion, which includes parent fees, government subsidies and industry

support paid by the government; and

WHEREAS;

The childcare industry must be recognized as a vital economic engine that is necessary and an integral part of

the social infrastructure that keeps the nation working by enabling parent to work and in many places provides

social and educational structures for the nation's infants, toddlers and children; and

WHEREAS;

The childcare industry supports local and national economies, relieves parents of burdensome concerns about

their children and offers children a safe haven for children being home alone or with unqualified care; and

WHEREAS;

The federal Child Care and Development Block Grant exist to aid low-income parent afford quality, affordable

and safe child care by providing a subsidy to child care providers and organizations. But the appropriations for

the CCDBG have not increased in five years, a substantial cut when adjusted for inflation. More than 250,000

children have lost federal assistance since 2000. President Bush has proposed freezing mandatory CCDBG

funding at $2,917 billion. Without increased funding, states will have restricted eligibility for child care

assistance; increase costs to parents for child care and not increase wages for organized and unorganized child

care workers and home providers; and

BE IT RESOLVED;

That LCLAA calls for an increase of $874 million for the Child Care and Development Block Grant in the

fiscal year 2008 Labor-HHS-Labor Appropriations Bill. This restoration of funding would restore the program

to 2002 inflation-adjusted funding levels and provide assistance to families who have lost benefits after years of

flat funding; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED;

That LCLAA continues to increase its organizing efforts and its resources across the nation to organize child

care workers in this expanding and vital industry by providing affiliates with the research, training and the

means to carry out organizing campaigns in local areas; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED;

That LCLAA promotes its organized childcare workers as models for the industry to promote this union as the

national leader in organizing childcare workers and home providers.

Respectfully Submitted by:

New York City LCLAA Chapter

Albany/Capital District Chapter

Westchester County LCLAA Chapter

REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE: YOUTH TASK FORCE COMMITTEE

CONCURRENCE:________________________________________

NON-CONCURRENCE:___________________________________