Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

ENROLLED ORIGINAL

                                A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION

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                    IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

                                            May 2, 2023

To celebrate May 12, 2023 as “Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day” and to recognize and

       honor all early childhood educators of the District of Columbia.

       WHEREAS, the District of Columbia is committed to supporting the health, well-being,

development, and success of young children and youth living in the nation’s capital;

      WHEREAS, children deserve skilled, educated, competent, consistent, and well-

compensated early childhood educators;

        WHEREAS, a high percentage of District mothers and birth-givers return to work in the

first 6 weeks after the birth of a child, and working families need sufficient, high-quality child

care services to be available in the community to support them;

       WHEREAS, child care providers serve a vital role in our community, not only caring for

and educating our children, but also supporting parent and guardian participation in the District

workforce;

       WHEREAS children’s cognitive, physical, social, emotional, language, and literacy

development are built on a foundation of positive interactions between children and adults, peers,

and their environment;

       WHEREAS, high-quality early care and education work to ameliorate the effects of

systemic poverty – from recognizing and remediating developmental delays, to identifying and

helping prevent child neglect – leading to positive outcomes for individual children and their

homes and communities;

        WHEREAS, the Council of the District of Columbia has been a supporter of families and

early childhood educators, including by authorizing an Early Childhood Educator Compensation

Task Force, funding the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund, and expanding Paid Family

and Medical Leave benefits, among others;

        WHEREAS, as a result of these programs and initiatives, the number of early childhood

educators who are on the path towards pay parity and economic progress has increased, thereby

increasing the ability to support high-quality programs for all District families;

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                                                                    ENROLLED ORIGINAL

        WHEREAS, we must continually work towards creating a diverse, inclusive, and

equitable early childhood education workforce to the ensure all people working in the child care

sector thrive personally and professionally, to create a robust provider and educator pipeline that

can be developed and maintained, and to strengthen culturally diverse and inclusive care

experiences for children;

        WHEREAS, early educators deserve appreciation for their irreplaceable work to advance

the early childhood profession; and

        WHEREAS, Child Care Provider Appreciation Day has been celebrated nationally and

annually since 1996 on the Friday before Mothers’ Day as an occasion to “amplify our nation’s

collective gratitude for those who support the social, emotional, and physical care of our youngest

children”.

        RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this

resolution may be cited as the “Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day Ceremonial

Recognition Resolution of 2023”.

        Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia celebrates May 12, 2023 as “DC Early

Childhood Educator Appreciation Day,” honors the contributions of all early childhood educators

to the development and well-being to our District children and families, and recognizes that

investments to stabilize, sustain, and support child care and early learning will support children,

youth, educators, families, and our larger economy through pandemic recovery and beyond.

       Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately.

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