CHILD CARE

WHEREAS, the majority of America's children now have mothers who are employed outside the home because of economic need (there are over 14 million women workers with children under 18 years of age; there are 5.4 million women workers, many of whom are educational employees and who have children under 6 years of age); and

WHEREAS, those millions of pre-school and school-age children are in need of good quality care while their parents work; and

WHEREAS, approximately 14 percent of all families with children are headed by a woman; and one out of six children in the United States is living in a family with no father present; and

WHEREAS, generally women's salaries are lower than men's; and

WHEREAS, as a result of government inaction we have reached a crisis stage in terms of the need for com­prehensive, quality child care; and

WHEREAS, the United States is the only industrialized country in the world which does not provide basic child care services:

RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers strongly urges the passage of national comprehensive quality child care legislation with public schools as presumed prime sponsors in this session of Congress during this year, the International Year of the Child.