[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 198 (Thursday, October 14, 1999)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 55617-55618]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-26999]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 198 / Thursday, October 14, 1999 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 55617]]


                Proclamation 7238 of October 8, 1999

                
National Children's Day, 1999

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                The children of America are our most precious gift and 
                our greatest responsibility. Their well-being is one of 
                the greatest measures of our success as a society, and 
                our ability to provide them with a loving, safe, and 
                supportive environment will help determine the 
                character of our Nation.

                We can be proud of the progress we have made in 
                creating such environments. To strengthen families and 
                homes, we have provided tax relief to working families, 
                raised the minimum wage, and enacted the Family and 
                Medical Leave Act so that parents can take time off to 
                be with a sick child or new baby without putting their 
                jobs at risk. To give more children a healthy start in 
                life, we have extended health care coverage to millions 
                of previously uninsured children. To help America's 
                youth reach their full potential, my Administration has 
                urged the Congress to pass legislation to provide our 
                students with a first-rate education by ensuring that 
                they are educated by well-prepared teachers, in smaller 
                classes, in modern and safe buildings, and with the 
                latest in information technology.

                On National Children's Day, however, we must also 
                reflect soberly on how far we still have to go to make 
                our communities safe and nurturing places for our 
                children. One of our greatest challenges is to provide 
                health coverage for the almost 11 million American 
                children who are still uninsured. Many of these 
                children are eligible for Medicaid or qualify for 
                coverage under the Children's Health Insurance Programs 
                that are now operating in every State across our 
                Nation. Educators, policymakers, health care 
                professionals, and business, community, and media 
                leaders have a vital role to play in raising parents' 
                awareness of their children's eligibility for this 
                important coverage and making sure that these children 
                are enrolled.

                America must also confront the recent senseless acts of 
                violence that have taken the lives and the innocence of 
                so many young people. Places where they once felt 
                safe--schools and churches and day care facilities--
                have been shaken by violence. Addressing this assault 
                on our society's values and our children's future is a 
                top priority of my Administration. We must work 
                together--parents, students, educators, public 
                officials, and religious, community, and industry 
                leaders--to instill in our youth a sense of compassion, 
                tolerance, and self-respect, so that they may find 
                their way in a troubled world. We must also help them 
                develop the strength to express their own anger and 
                alienation with words, not weapons.

                One of the most powerful tools we have in this endeavor 
                is youth mentoring. A recent Department of Justice 
                study showed that mentoring programs help young people 
                resist violence and substance abuse, perform better 
                academically, and interact more positively with their 
                families and with other youth. Recognizing the value of 
                mentoring programs, particularly to the well-being of 
                millions of at-risk youth, my Administration announced 
                earlier this year several public and private 
                initiatives to encourage mentoring, and we set aside 
                $14 million in grants for the Justice Department's 
                Juvenile Mentoring Program.

[[Page 55618]]

                Children bring so much hope, joy, and love to our 
                lives; in return, we owe them our time, our attention, 
                the power of our example, and the comfort of our 
                concern. It is a fair trade, and one that enriches the 
                lives of us all.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United 
                States, do herebyproclaim October 10, 1999, as National 
                Children's Day. I urge all Americans to express their 
                love and appreciation for the children of our Nation on 
                this day and on every day throughout the year. I invite 
                Federal officials, local governments, communities, and 
                all American families to join in observing this day 
                with appropriate ceremonies and activities. I also urge 
                all Americans to reflect upon the importance of 
                children to our families, the importance of strong 
                families to our children, and the importance of both to 
                America.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                eighth day of October, in the year of our Lord nineteen 
                hundred and ninety-nine, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and twenty-
                fourth.

                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 99-26999
Filed 10-13-99; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P