PRINTER'S NO. 1852
No. 117 Session of 1989
INTRODUCED BY STAIRS, BOYES, RYBAK, LASHINGER, BELFANTI, SEMMEL,
DISTLER, ARGALL, E. Z. TAYLOR, ANGSTADT, JACKSON, MELIO,
HAGARTY, FOX, DEMPSEY, TRELLO, BUSH, MORRIS, HERMAN, NOYE,
J. H. CLARK, ROBINSON, SERAFINI, HESS AND BUNT, MAY 30, 1989
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, MAY 30, 1989
A RESOLUTION
1 Directing the Secretary of Public Welfare to promulgate certain
2 regulations pertaining to subsidized child day care.
3 WHEREAS, Family income levels for children to be eligible for
4 subsidized day care have not changed since 1980; and
5 WHEREAS, According to today's standards, parents earn a
6 modest salary but are not eligible for subsidy; and
7 WHEREAS, Parents cannot afford the fee for unsubsidized day
8 care which jumps from a maximum of $20 per week for subsidized
9 care to an average of $80 per week for unsubsidized care; and
10 WHEREAS, The reimbursement paid by the Commonwealth to
11 providers is not sufficient for day-care providers to deliver
12 quality service; and
13 WHEREAS, The estimated cost of child care is approximately
14 $4,900 per year per child, while the State reimbursement is
15 $2,800 per year per child in this region; and
16 WHEREAS, There is a growing crisis in child care due to the
17 shortage of child care staff resulting from low wages and poor
1 benefits; and
2 WHEREAS, Quality of care for children is directly related to
3 the quality and consistency of the child care staff; and
4 WHEREAS, Child care teachers earn an average of $5 per hour,
5 working 12 months a year; therefore be it
6 RESOLVED, That the Secretary of Public Welfare, through
7 regulation, adjust the family income eligibility criteria for
8 subsidized day care to conform to 1989 wages; and be it further
9 RESOLVED, That the Secretary of Public Welfare, through
10 regulation, tie reimbursement rate to the cost of child care in
11 each region and change the parent fee schedule to conform to
12 1989 wages or to 10% of the annual family income; and be it
13 further
14 RESOLVED, That the Secretary of Public Welfare, through
15 regulation, recognize that quality child care requires
16 professionals who are appropriately compensated by raising the
17 reimbursement rate and changing the parent fee scale to include
18 appropriate compensation for staff; and be it further
19 RESOLVED, That the Secretary of Public Welfare submit these
20 proposed regulations for publication within 90 days from the
21 passage of this resolution.
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