Bill Text: DE SCR24 | 2023-2024 | 152nd General Assembly | Draft

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Bill Title: Recognizing April 2 Through 8, 2023, As "week Of The Young Child" In Delaware.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-6)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2023-04-05 - Passed By Senate. Votes: 20 YES 1 ABSENT [SCR24 Detail]

Download: Delaware-2023-SCR24-Draft.html

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SPONSOR:	Sen. Gay & Rep. S. Moore & Rep. Michael Smith
Sens. Hocker, Lockman, Pettyjohn, Sturgeon, Wilson; Reps. Baumbach, Briggs King, Chukwuocha, Harris, Morrison, Ramone, K. Williams, Wilson-Anton

DELAWARE STATE SENATE

152nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 24

RECOGNIZING APRIL 2 THROUGH 8, 2023, AS "WEEK OF THE YOUNG CHILD" IN DELAWARE.

WHEREAS, in 2023, we recognize the 52nd anniversary of the “Week of the Young Child”; and

WHEREAS, the “Week of the Young Child” is an annual celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (“NAEYC”), the world's largest early childhood education association, with nearly 60,000 members and a network of 51 local, state, and regional affiliates, including the Delaware Association for the Education of Young Children;

WHEREAS, NAEYC first established the “Week of the Young Child” in 1971, recognizing that the early childhood years, from birth through 8 years of age, lay the foundation for children's success in school and later life; and

WHEREAS, the “Week of the Young Child” is a time to recognize that all children's opportunities are our responsibilities and to recommit ourselves to ensuring that every child has access to, and experiences, the type of early environment, at home, at child care, at school, and in the community, that will promote early learning; and

WHEREAS, at birth, the average baby’s brain is about a quarter of the size of the average adult brain. Incredibly, it doubles in size in the first year and keeps growing to about 80% of adult size by age 3 and 90% – nearly full grown – by age 5 ; 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 be more likely to succeed in life; and

WHEREAS, paying the costs of high-quality early childhood education is a revenue-generating investment over time, resulting in a broad range of benefits that accrue to individuals and society at large; and

WHEREAS, high-quality early childhood education depends on high-quality early childhood educators who ensure that children, supported by families, have the early experiences they need for a strong foundation; and

WHEREAS, young children need skilled, educated, competent, consistent, and compensated early childhood educators, who reflect a rich diversity of linguistic, racial, and cultural identities; and

WHEREAS, working families need an early childhood education system that allows them access to quality child care settings and need-sufficient high-quality child care spaces beginning at birth available in the community; and

WHEREAS, a strong regulatory structure is needed to give working families peace of mind that their children are safe and in high-quality early care and education settings, and robust subsidies, scholarships, and tax credits are needed for families at all income levels that support the true cost of quality early childhood education; and

WHEREAS, early childhood educators need the ability to earn a family-sustaining wage that is commensurate with the required education and skills they bring to the complex and valuable work they do and to have basic workplace benefits such as health insurance, retirement, paid sick leave, paid vacation, and professional development leave.

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the 152nd General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the House of Representatives concurring therein, recognizes April 2 through 8, 2023, as "Week of the Young Child" in Delaware.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives hereby recognize the critical, complex, valuable, and demanding work of early childhood educators and urge all members of our community to support efforts that increase children and families’ access to high-quality early childhood education.

SYNOPSIS

This resolution recognizes April 2 through 8, 2023, as “Week of the Young Child” in Delaware.

Author: Senator Gay