STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3815

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.R. No. 48

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor, Culture and the Arts, to which was referred S.R. No. 48 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION DESIGNATING THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER 2022 AS CHILD CARE PROVIDER APPRECIATION MONTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to designate the month of September 2022 as Child Care Provider Appreciation Month.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Executive Office on Early Learning, Hawai‘i Children's Action Network Speaks!, Early Childhood Action Strategy, and two individuals.

Your Committee finds that early childhood is a critical development period for an individual, and therefore, it is critical that young children receive consistent care and nurturing from early childhood educators who are skilled, educated, competent, and appropriately compensated. Your Committee finds however, due to racist and sexist beliefs that child care services do not deserve appropriate compensation because the work is largely performed by women of color, the average wage of child care workers in Hawaii is currently less than $30,000 a year. By designating the month of September 2022 as Child Care Provider Appreciation Month, this measure acknowledges the importance of child care, especially during early childhood, and the critical role child care providers play in the development of children in Hawaii, and encourages all policy makers, community organizations, and residents in Hawaii to do the same.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Including the Director of Health and Superintendent of Education as additional recipients of its certified copies; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor, Culture and the Arts that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 48, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 48, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor, Culture and the Arts,

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BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair