Child Care Access Means Parents in 
Schools Act Remarks
by Senators Dodd and Snowe introducing the bill into the Senate
From Congressional Record, September 5, 1997 (Senate)
[Page S8870-S8872]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:cr05se97-113]
Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions
By Mr. DODD (for himself, Ms. Snowe, and Mr. Kennedy):
S. 1151. A bill to amend subpart 8 of part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to support the participation of low-income parents in postsecondary education through the provision of campus-based child care; to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources.
Child Care Access Means Parents in Schools Act
Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I am pleased to rise today to introduce legislation to provide new support to needy college students struggling to balance their efforts in college with their role as parents. The CAMPUS--Child Care Access Means Parents in School Act will support the participation of low-income parents in college by supporting campus-based child care. I am pleased to be joined in this effort by Senator Snowe and Senator Kennedy.
The stereotypical college student is no longer an 18-year-old high school graduate. Increasingly, nontraditional students--older, with children and various job and life experiences--are filling the ranks of college classes. These students recognize the importance of college to future success.
But these students face new barriers unheard of in earlier times. Many are parents and must provide for their children while in school. Campus-based child care is a vital necessity for parents attending college. It is conveniently located, available during the right hours, and of high quality and lower cost. Unfortunately, it is unavailable at many schools. Even where programs exist, they are often difficult to access, particularly for low-income parents who struggle with the costs.
In the wake of welfare reform, new pressures are also coming to bear on low-income student parents. With the work requirements of the welfare reform bill, it will become increasingly difficult for students who are low-income parents to obtain Federal child care funds. States are likely to shift these funds to support welfare recipients returning to work, rather than to support low-income parents pursuing higher education. This outcome is particularly perverse given the impact of obtaining a college education on family earnings over time. Studies are clear: public assistance recipients who attend college are significantly more likely to leave welfare permanently.
This bill will offer new hope to these students. It will provide support to campus-based child care programs serving low-income parents. Colleges can apply for these 3-year grants to assist the institution in supporting or establishing a campus-based child care program serving the needs of their low-income students. Funds will be targeted to institutions serving low-income students and programs focused on meeting these needs.
Mr. President, this is a modest measure that will make a major difference to students. I am hopeful that it can be considered and enacted as part of the Higher Education Act which we will consider later this year. I look forward to working with my colleagues to move this important measure forward.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:
Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I am extremely pleased to join my colleague from Connecticut, Senator Dodd, to introduce the Child Care Access Means Parents in School Act [CAMPUS Act]. Senator Dodd and I have worked together to ensure access to quality child care, and this bill represents the next step in our shared commitment to this important issue. I am also pleased Senator Kennedy has joined us as a cosponsor of this legislation, which provides grants to colleges in order to provide child care for low-income students.
Mr. President, this is the time of year when countless American students return to college. At this time, we should remind ourselves that many Americans face obstacles that prevent them from participating in higher education. The absence of affordable and accessible child care is, unfortunately, one such obstacle.
For many parents with young children, the availability of oncampus child care services is central to their ability to attend college. Campus-based child care is conveniently located, available at the hours that fit students' schedules and often available at a lower cost than community-based child care centers. Student parents rate access to campus-based child care as an important factor affecting their college enrollment. Unfortunately, such services are often in very short supply, particularly for low-income parents who may find the cost of existing services prohibitive.
Moreover, in order to meet the high demand for child care created by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, States may divert funds away from programs currently providing campus-based child care services for low-income students and use the funds to provide child care to welfare recipients, because educational activities do not count as work under the act. This may leave students with less access to child care services. If we want to fulfill the goals of the welfare reform act and ensure that families are able to remain financially self-sufficient, we need to ensure that low-income parents have access to higher education and affordable and convenient child care. This is crucial given that people who receive public assistance and then complete college are far more likely to leave welfare permanently than those who do not.
There is no question that a person's earning potential increases dramatically with a college degree. According to the Census Bureau, in 1990 the average income for high school graduates was almost $18,000. Those who had 1 to 3 years of college education, however, earned an average of $24,000. And those who graduated from college received an average salary of $31,000.
Higher education is crucial to getting a job in today's global job market. More than half of the new jobs that have been and will be created between 1995 and 2000 will require education beyond high school. While nearly 40 percent of American jobs are currently in lowskill occupations, only 27 percent will fall in that category by the year 2000. Over the same period, high-skill occupations will grow from 24 to 41 percent of the work force. Getting the skills necessary to meet these market demands simply requires higher and higher levels of educational achievement.
For many low-income students who are parents, the availability of campus-based child care is key to their ability to receive a higher education and thus achieve the American dream. Student parents are more likely to remain in school, and to graduate sooner and at a higher rate if they have campus-based child care. Child care services are particularly critical for older students who choose to go back to school to get their degree or to improve their skills through advanced education. This is especially important in today's economy where people need to continuously train and retrain in order to meet the demands of high-technology jobs.
Children placed in campus-based child care also reap numerous benefits, given its very high quality. In fact, children in highquality child care exhibit higher earnings as adults, higher rates of secondary school graduation, lower rates of teen pregnancy, and a reduced need for special education or costly social services. We also know that quality child care is cost efficient--the public saves $7 for every $1 invested in child care.
The bill we are introducing today will help bring the American dream within the reach of numerous American parents who need child care in order to attend college. The CAMPUS Act will amend title IV of the Higher Education Act to help provide campus-based child care to lowincome parents seeking a college degree. Under the bill, the Secretary of Education will award 3-year grants to institutions of higher education to support or help establish a campus-based child care program serving the needs of low-income student parents. The Secretary will award $60 million in grants--equal to 1 percent of total Pell grant funding--based on an application submitted by the institution, and the grant amount will be linked to the institution's Pell grant funding level.
Under the bill, Pell grant recipients will be eligible for child care, to ensure that services target low-income students. In 1995-96, there were approximately 3.6 million Pell grant recipients, and almost 17,000 Maine residents received Pell grants. Students typically qualify for Pell grants if their income is under $30,000 per year. This bill will make a true difference in the lives of many low-income students who need child care to attend school.
I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation which will truly make a difference in the lives of numerous American parents who wish to attend college.
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