Presidential Documents

Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 176 / Wednesday, September 15, 2021 / Presidential Documents 51263 

Proclamation 10255 of September 10, 2021 

National Grandparents Day, 2021 

By the President of the United States of America 

A Proclamation 

On National Grandparents Day, we celebrate the important role grandparents 

play in providing love, wisdom, and strength to their families, and fostering 

greater understanding across generations. Grandmas and grandpas, abuelas 

y abuelos, nanas and pop-pops—through their wisdom, their perseverance, 

and their unconditional love—strengthen our family bonds. They share with 

us who we are, where we come from, and the experiences that have shaped 

their lives, and, in many cases, shaped our Nation. 

For Jill and me, there is no greater joy than spending time with our own 

grandchildren. They are the love of our lives, and the life of our love. 

The COVID–19 pandemic has been particularly devastating to seniors, and 

too many families have lost grandparents to the virus. We mourn them 

as a Nation. To honor the memory of those we have lost and protect 

those most vulnerable, we mobilized an historic vaccination effort. Already, 

we have fully vaccinated over 82 percent of all seniors and over 64 percent 

of all adults—allowing grandparents and their loved ones to get back together 

safely. 

During the worst of COVID–19, we saw the bonds of love that grandparents 

share with their families remain strong. While the virus denied many grandparents the opportunity to hug their grandchildren, we saw families visiting 

grandparents outside a window, waving from a safe distance, participating 

in car parades, or making video calls to stay connected. Grandparents and 

grandchildren were resilient and creative—sharing recitals, sporting events, 

graduations, and other important family milestones remotely. Physically 

apart, we remained bonded by love, faith, and the uniquely American spirit. 

As we continue our fight against the virus, we are once again able to 

enjoy the in person warmth and care of our grandparents, and they can 

enjoy precious time with their children and grandchildren. 

For many families, grandparents are the caregivers who provide trusted 

support to parents and children alike. They care for grandchildren while 

their parents are at work, pick up grandchildren from school and activities, 

and provide advice and comfort when needed most. In increasing numbers, 

grandparents have become primary caregivers when parents cannot care 

for their children. They sacrifice their own retirement plans, and often 

strain their own health and financial stability, to ensure their grandchildren 

continue to grow and learn within the warm embrace of a loving family. 

In 2018, the Congress enacted the Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Act, which established an Advisory Council to Support Grandparents Raising Grandchildren. By the end of this year, the Council will 

release their first report to the Congress, including recommendations intended 

to advance change and improve support programs for grandparent and kinship families of all ages. 

My Administration looks forward to the release of this report so that we 

can use it as a guide to improve the livelihoods of grandparents and other 

older relative caregivers. As President, I am committed to identifying unmet 

needs, highlighting systemic gaps, and providing recommendations on how 


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51264 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 176 / Wednesday, September 15, 2021 / Presidential Documents 

we can work together to improve the lives of grandparents and the children 

they support. 

Thanks to our whole-of-government response, heroic frontline workers, 

world-class scientists, and millions of Americans getting vaccinated, many 

of us are able to hug our grandparents, and gather around a table once 

again. We still have more work to do, but we have learned to never take 

time together for granted. If everyone does their part in getting vaccinated— 

we will continue to create new, joyful memories. We are grateful for the 

blessing of that opportunity, and we hope every family will cherish their 

grandparents today and every day. 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States 

of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution 

and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 12, 2021, 

as National Grandparents Day. I call upon all Americans to celebrate the 

important role that grandparents play in the lives of their families and 

the children they love. 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this tenth day of 

September, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-one, and of the 

Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fortysixth. 

[FR Doc. 2021–20038 

Filed 9–14–21; 8:45 am] 

Billing code 3295–F1–P 


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