[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 196 (Wednesday, October 9, 2024)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 81823-81824]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-23458]




                        Presidential Documents 



Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 196 / Wednesday, October 9, 2024 / 
Presidential Documents

[[Page 81823]]


                Proclamation 10833 of October 4, 2024

                
Child Health Day, 2024

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Our Nation's children deserve every opportunity to 
                reach their biggest dreams--that begins with ensuring 
                our families and children have the resources and 
                support they need to stay healthy and strong. On Child 
                Health Day, we recommit to supporting families as they 
                help their children to lead healthy lives.

                When we came into office, Vice President Harris and I 
                promised to give families some well-deserved breathing 
                room so that families could care for their children 
                without worrying about how they were going to pay the 
                bills. That is why my American Rescue Plan expanded the 
                Child Tax Credit, which reduced child poverty by nearly 
                half across the Nation. That law also made our Nation's 
                biggest investment in child care ever, keeping 
                businesses open and hundreds of thousands of child care 
                workers employed to care for children. To lower health 
                insurance costs, I signed the Inflation Reduction Act, 
                saving millions of families $800 per year on their 
                health insurance premiums. And we strengthened the 
                Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting 
                Program to provide home visits from trained 
                professionals, who can offer prenatal care and 
                postpartum support to new mothers and ensure their 
                children's health and well-being needs are met. We 
                launched the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 
                1-833-TLC-MAMA to help better support pregnant and 
                postpartum moms. We also modernized the Thrifty Food 
                Plan for the first time in nearly five decades so that 
                millions more families can afford nutritious foods. We 
                are working to reduce the amount of sodium in food to 
                help prevent children from experiencing high blood 
                pressure, heart disease, and stroke later in life. At 
                the same time, we are working to secure free and 
                healthy school meals for every child--beginning with 
                setting a goal to deliver free school meals to nine 
                million more children by 2032.

                My Administration is also working to ensure our youth 
                have access to the mental health care they need, making 
                the largest investment in mental health ever. This 
                includes over $2 billion in funding, including $1 
                billion through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, 
                to help schools across the country train and hire new 
                mental health counselors. We made it easier for schools 
                to leverage Medicaid to deliver health care, including 
                mental health care, to millions of children and youth. 
                And we launched 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, 
                which anyone can call, text, or chat to be connected to 
                a trained crisis counselor, 24 hours a day, 7 days a 
                week.

                Americans deserve to live in a safe community, free 
                from the threat of violence--and when it comes to our 
                Nation's children, one of our most fundamental 
                responsibilities is keeping them safe. In the United 
                States, firearms are the leading cause of death for 
                children. It is unacceptable. Children are exposed to 
                violence and worry about school shootings happening to 
                them, and this exposure and fear can lead to negative 
                consequences for their school life, mental health, and 
                more. That is why I signed the most significant gun 
                safety law in nearly 30 years and have announced dozens 
                of gun safety executive actions, including one that 
                will improve the active shooter drills that nearly all 
                students undergo. I also established

[[Page 81824]]

                the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence 
                Prevention, overseen by Vice President Harris. We have 
                made significant progress, but we must do more. I 
                continue to call on the Congress to ban assault weapons 
                and high-capacity magazines, require safe storage of 
                firearms, enact universal background checks, and end 
                immunity for gun manufacturers.

                Our Administration is also making historic investments 
                to tackle the climate crisis, which is essential to 
                protecting our children's futures. Every child should 
                be able to turn on the faucet at home or school and 
                have access to safe, clean water--that is why, through 
                my Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are working to 
                replace every lead pipe in America. My Inflation 
                Reduction Act--the most significant investment in 
                climate ever--is investing in air quality sensors so 
                that we prevent communities from experiencing the 
                harmful effects of pollution. And we have recommitted 
                to conserving 30 percent of all our Nation's lands and 
                waters by 2030 so that generations to come may enjoy 
                them.

                Our children deserve to grow up in a country that cares 
                about their health, happiness, and opportunities for 
                success. During Child Health Day, may we recommit to 
                supporting our children and families so that they can 
                thrive. And may we continue to build a future where 
                every child can reach their full potential.

                The Congress, by a 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 that the President issue a 
                proclamation in observance of this day.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States of America, do hereby proclaim 
                Monday, October 7, 2024, as Child Health Day. I call 
                upon families, child health professionals, faith-based 
                and community organizations, and governments to help 
                ensure that America's children stay safe and healthy.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                ninth.
                <GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT>
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2024-23458
Filed 10-8-24; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P