‘CARE Act’ Would Close U.S. Child Labor Loophole, Get Kids to School

http://www.inthesetimes.com/working/entry/5001/care_act_would_close_u.s._child_labor_loophole_get_kids_to_school/

Wednesday October 7 1:32 pm


Corn grows near Roscoe, Illinois, in August 2008. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

By Akito Yoshikane

While most students in the United States return to school this fall, hundreds of thousands of child laborers who should be at desks are toiling in commercial agriculture.

The agricultural industry has lax labor laws compared to other industries, allowing children to work longer hours and face hazardous conditions, often at younger ages. The National Safety Council cites the industry as the most hazardous in the nation.

Children under 15 face some of the highest workplace injuries and many are disabled—or even killed—in the workplace. And many kids often end up working in the fields instead of attending school.

In response, Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.) recently introduced the Children's Act for Responsible Employment (CARE). The legislation would strengthen child labor regulations in the agricultural industries, bringing the laws in line with other occupations that protect children's rights.

The legislation, intended to protect farmworker children and encourage them to attend school, is essentially an amendment to the antiquated Fair Labor Standards Act (from 1938!), a legacy from an era when children were expected to work in the fields and contribute to family income.

The reality is still very real for child farmworkers, but the law is outdated. Current standards allow agricultural employers to hire children, some as young as 12, to work unlimited hours outside of school.

Compare that to other industries, where federal law limits work hours to 18 per week for children, and 40 hours during a non-school week.

FULL story at link.