SR0288 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0288 LRB102 18421 MST 26375 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The first years of a child's life are when the most rapid brain development happens and lays the foundation for all future learning; and

WHEREAS, Children's cognitive, physical, social and emotional, and language and literacy development are built on a foundation of children's positive interactions with adults, peers, and their environment; and

WHEREAS, As of 2019, 6% of children in our State have all available parents in the workforce; 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

WHEREAS, The average wage for child care providers, who are skilled and valuable front-line professionals and who have risked their health to provide education and care during a global pandemic, is less than $12 per hour, with Black and Latina child care workers making even less; 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; and

WHEREAS, 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the Week of the Young Child designed to recognize and advance the early childhood education profession; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare April 10 to April 16, 2021 as the Week of the Young Child in the State of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we declare April 30, 2021 as El Dia Del Niño (Children's Day) in the State of Illinois.