House Bill 9009

    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HR 9009

        By Representative Wasserman Schultz






  1                         House Resolution

  2         A resolution promoting quality child care.

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  4         WHEREAS, March 16, 1999, has been designated by the

  5  Florida Children's Forum and Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies

  6  as "Children's Day," and

  7         WHEREAS, child care is a crucial children's issue, and

  8  it is important for parents to recognize that quality must be

  9  the first priority in choosing child care, and

10         WHEREAS, it is important that parents choose a provider

11  whose style and attitudes are similar to their own, keeping in

12  mind that a positive, loving relationship between provider and

13  child is essential in the delivery of quality child care, and

14         WHEREAS, inasmuch as environment affects a child's

15  safety, health, and development and is a critical component of

16  child care, quality child care facilities must be cheerful,

17  clean, and well-lit and well-equipped with adequate materials

18  that are safe, appropriate, clean, and in good repair, and

19         WHEREAS, it is important that an up-to-date license is

20  posted, if one is required, and that there are enough adults

21  for the number and age of the children in a group to ensure

22  quality care, and

23         WHEREAS, quality child-care programs encompass

24  experiences and activities that include age-appropriate

25  materials to help children learn and grow, activities which

26  encourage children to think creatively, time for children to

27  work as a group and time alone, and a balance of playtime,

28  story time, activity time, and nap time, and

29         WHEREAS, scheduling interviews with several caregivers

30  and making visits at different times of the day over a period

31  of several days may give parents a sense of the atmosphere of

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HR 9009

    524-164-99






  1  the program and the rhythm and pace of the caregiver's

  2  routine, and

  3         WHEREAS, recognizing that all children need to be loved

  4  and cared for and that each child is unique, making it

  5  important to see child care through a child's eyes, NOW,

  6  THEREFORE,

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  8  Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of

  9  Florida:

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11         That the House of Representatives pauses in its

12  deliberations to stress the importance of learning how to

13  recognize quality child care in ensuring the health and safety

14  of the children of Florida, and to encourage all citizens of

15  the state to support quality child care.

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