Presidential Documents

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 193 / Wednesday, October 4, 2000 / Presidential Documents 59317

Proclamation 7349 of September 29, 2000

Child Health Day, 2000

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

As parents and as concerned citizens, we have a profound responsibility

to ensure that America’s children not only receive a healthy start in life,

but also that they continue to grow and develop in a nurturing environment

where they have the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Recognizing the importance of healthy, happy children to the future of

our Nation, my Administration has strived to offer America’s families the

tools they need to fulfill their responsibilities. In 1997, I was proud to

sign into law the Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP), the largest investment in children’s health care since the creation of Medicaid 35 years

ago. This innovative program allows States to use Federal funds to provide

health insurance for children of working families whose incomes are too

high to qualify for Medicaid but too low to afford private health insurance.

Children with health insurance are more likely to receive the immunizations

and other preventive care they need to avoid serious illnesses and to enjoy

a healthier start in life. In March of 1997, only 4 States provided such

coverage for children. Today, 30 States have plans approved to cover qualified

children, and I have proposed an additional $5.5 billion over the next

10 years to cover even more children and to raise awareness of CHIP among

families who may not realize they are eligible.

In addition to quality health care, children need nutritious meals every

day. I am pleased that our national school lunch program provides healthy

lunches to more than 25 million students in more than 96,000 schools

across our nation, ensuring that some of our most vulnerable children can

look forward to at least one healthy meal each day. We can also be heartened

to know that children enrolled in programs funded under the Department

of Agriculture’s Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants, and

Children not only receive the nutritious food they need, but also are immunized earlier, perform better in school, and spend less time in the doctor’s

office.

Since 1965, in addition to engaging parents in the early educational development of their children, the Head Start program has provided medical, mental

health, nutrition, and dental services to more than 17 million children

from birth to age 5. My Administration will continue this investment by

increasing Head Start funding in our proposed fiscal 2001 budget by $1

billion—the largest Head Start expansion in history.

It is also our responsibility to ensure that our children feel part of a safe,

strong, nurturing community. Through our Safe Schools/Healthy Students

initiative, my Administration is helping parents, school principals, police,

and mental health providers to collaborate on local solutions to school

and youth violence. My proposed budget for fiscal 2001 includes an increase

of more than $100 million for this program. I have also called on the

Congress to allow eligible workers under the Family and Medical Leave

Act to take up to 24 hours of additional leave each year to meet family

obligations, including school activities such as parent-teacher conferences.

America is enjoying a period of unprecedented economic success today;

but we will never be truly successful as a Nation until we ensure that

59318 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 193 / Wednesday, October 4, 2000 / Presidential Documents

all families have the tools and opportunity they need in order to raise

healthy children. To acknowledge the importance of our children’s health,

the Congress, by joint resolution approved May 18, 1928, as amended (36

U.S.C. 105), has called for the designation of the first Monday in October

as ‘‘Child Health Day’’ and has requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of this day.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States

of America, do hereby proclaim Monday, October 2, 2000, as Child Health

Day. I call upon families, schools, communities, and governments to dedicate

themselves to promoting and protecting the health and well-being of all

our children.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth

day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand, and of the Independ-

[FR Doc. 00–25676

Filed 10–3–00; 8:45 am]

Billing code 3195–01–P

ence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-fifth.

œ–