Photo By Lance Cpl. David Brandes | U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, from Virginia, speaks with educators at the Quantico Child...... read more read more
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Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va. – U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine met with base leadership and Child Development Center (CDC) personnel to discuss solutions for challenges CDCs face on MCBQ, Virginia, August 28, 2024.
Kaine was greeted by retired U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Michael R. Strobl, assistant deputy commandant of Manpower and Reserve Affairs, and base commander Col. Jenny Colgate.
While visiting, Kaine received a tour through CDC South and discussed its operations with the staff. Director Sharonia Hunter shared its curricula, methods of training staff, and the importance of early childhood education development.
“One of my kids is a Marine, and one of my kids is a pre-K classroom aide,” Kaine said to the educators. “I’m in a committee focused on early childhood education. I’ve been very forward about making sure there’s childcare for the military.”
The visit concluded with a roundtable discussion with parents and educators to gain perspective on potential approaches to improve the CDCs. During the roundtable, CDC staffing was emphasized.
Kaine noted that staffing for education is a pressure felt country-wide, seeing high turnover rates of education staff following the COVID-19 pandemic and its financial pressures leaving a lasting impact.
In addition to getting more funding to pay potential staff, one of the solutions mentioned by the senator was creating an inter-service background check system, so that CDC employees who have undergone a background investigation can transfer to other CDCs around the country without having to undergo repeated investigations.
“We want them to have high standards for background checks,” said Majs. Michael Phillips and Danielle Phillips, dual military parents of a child attending the CDC, “but if the process takes too long it becomes an issue.”
Kaine has served Virginia for 30 years. As a senator, Kaine is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and Chair of the SASC Subcommittee, which oversees the Navy and Marine Corps. He is also a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, where he is working to pass his bipartisan legislation to make childcare more affordable and address childcare workforce shortages. He was Virginia’s governor from 2006-2010, and previously served as Virginia’s lieutenant governor and the mayor of Richmond.
“I try really hard to work on quality of life issues, especially with previously deployed veterans,” Kaine concluded. “And I can assure you we’ll put these bits of wisdom and pieces of advice to use.”
| Date Taken: | 08.28.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 08.30.2024 08:57 |
| Story ID: | 479813 |
| Location: | QUANTICO, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 117 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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