Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/is-there-life-after-welfare-reform/5011735/
A year ago, it appeared as though Congress was finished with child care for some time. The spirit of "devolution" was riding high; the federal government had centralized power, and more decisions needed to be handed back to the states. Congress and the Clinton administration had just finished an exhausting bout with child care issues as part of the long and contentious welfare reform debate.Despite all of this, there are growing signs that Congress and the administration could return to the issue of child care later in 1997 or early in 1998. President and Mrs. Clinton have announced that the White House will hold a second conference focused on early childhood care and development on October 23, 1997.
On the Congressional side, there has been a steady stream of child care legislation - some very good, some quite problematic. The Congressional Women's Caucus, which has never held a hearing in its history, held a day long hearing on child care on July 10. And on July 17, the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources conducted a hearing on improving the quality of child care.
Obviously, there is a growing awareness in Washington of the importance of child care and the need for ...