REP. ANDREWS TOURS PROVIDENCE PEDIATRIC MEDICAL DAYCARE: MARKS GRAND OPENING OF NEW CORPORATE OFFICE WITH RIBBON CUTTING

On Friday, April 22, 2005, I attended the Providence Pediatric Medical Daycare ribbon cutting to mark the grand opening of its new corporate office building in West Berlin, NJ. Upon my observational tour of the pediatric daycare, I met with the daycare’s staff and quickly learned why Providence Pediatric Medical Day Care serves as a leader in children’s medical day programs. 

Every parent wants to be assured that their child receives the necessary medical care and personal attention to grow and develop. I commend the Providence Pediatric Medical Daycare for creating such an environment with individualized programs that complement each child’s development level while simultaneously providing the necessary medical care that is usually given in the home.

The licensed staff of pediatric nurses, aides, and certified early childhood education teachers has created a loving, caring environment to assist children who suffer from head trauma, cardiac abnormalities, diabetes, seizures and other special medical conditions. Specifically, parents can entrust their child to the Daycare’s professionals who offer skilled nursing care, respiratory care, physical and occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, preschool preparation, and social services.

As a member of the Education and the Workforce Committee, I remain committed to ensuring that equity, accountability and excellence in education is readily available for our nation’s children with disabilities. That is why I served as one of the original co-sponsors of H.R. 363, The Keep Our Promise to America’s Children and Teachers (PACT) Act. This Act would require our government to fully fund the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and the Individuals with Disabilities Act. 

As you know, in December 2004, President Bush signed into law the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the nation’s law that works to improve results for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities. Currently, regulations implementing the IDEA 2004 are being prepared. However, IDEA has continued to be under funded. As a result, this lack of funding has shortchanged our students with disabilities and created a financial burden for the states of our union.

As the U.S. Department of Education takes comments and suggestions under review as to how programs should be implemented under the amended IDEA, I will continue to advocate to my colleagues in Congress that IDEA should be fully funded on a mandatory basis to improve special education conditions and most importantly, to advance the educational success of our nation’s children with disabilities. 

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