WHEREAS:

            More than four decades of research confirm the benefits of high quality family child care for young children’s intellectual, emotional, social and physical development and later life outcomes; and

WHEREAS:

            More recent studies demonstrate that stability in the caregiver-child relationship in family child care is the most important element of high quality child care; and

WHEREAS:

            Almost two-thirds of children in the United States have a parent in the workforce; and

WHEREAS:

            Quality family child care is high quality care and promotes the well-being of children and responds to the needs of working parents and the broader community by supporting quality of life so that working families can fully participate in and contribute to the economic and social life of their community; and

WHEREAS:

            Family child care is a significant industry in our communities, producing thousands of

jobs and millions in revenue across the country, while recognizing that the child care industry has linkages to the rest of the economy that support other industries and stimulate even more economic activity; and

WHEREAS:

            Due to family child care, parents experience an increase in their earnings and their ability

to purchase goods and services to support the economy; and

WHEREAS:

            Family child care assists employees with children by reducing the barriers to working families, their employers and the economy through flexibility, extended hours and often by offering care on nights and weekends when other child care programs do not; and

WHEREAS:

            Family wages and benefits and good working conditions are associated with higher job satisfaction and morale which results in lower turnover; and

WHEREAS:

            History has demonstrated that a unionized workforce helps to provide and maintain family wages and benefits by encouraging and supporting workers in finding their voice in their workplace and their professional field; and

WHEREAS:

            Oregon, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio, New Jersey, New York-CSEA, New Mexico, California, Iowa, and Pennsylvania affiliates of the American Federation of State, County, Municipal Employees represent thousands of high quality family child care providers in their states.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

            That links on the AFSCME International website be created to allow easy access to organized AFSCME members’ family child care programs by members; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

            That delegates of the 41st Convention of AFSCME held in Chicago July 14th  through 18th, 2014, reaffirm their commitment to utilize union services whenever possible and use unionized child care providers whenever possible; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

            That AFSCME urges all of its affiliates and state and local labor federations to take the aforementioned action; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:

            That AFSCME will forward a version of this resolution to the AFL-CIO and seek its adoption at the next AFL-CIO National Convention in support of AFSCME’s Family Child Care Providers.