[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 198 (Thursday, October 12, 2000)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 60573-60574]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-26393]


 
 
                         Presidential Documents 
 
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 198 / Thursday, October 12, 2000 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 60573]]


                Proclamation 7355 of October 6, 2000

                
National School Lunch Week, 2000

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                One of the best ways we can move forward as a society 
                is to meet our obligations to our children. President 
                Harry Truman recognized this profound responsibility 
                when he signed the National School Lunch Act into law 
                in 1946. The significance of this legislation went 
                beyond the daily meal that children would receive; the 
                National School Lunch Program firmly established the 
                Federal Government's commitment to work in partnership 
                with States, schools, and the agricultural community to 
                administer a major program designed to improve 
                children's diets and, in turn, their overall health and 
                well-being.

                Today, more than 96,000 schools serve lunches to over 
                27 million children every day--more than half of them 
                for free or at a reduced price, so that no schoolchild 
                in America, regardless of family income, need go hungry 
                at lunchtime. We have also built on the program's 
                success by establishing a number of child nutrition 
                initiatives administered by the Department of 
                Agriculture--from the School Breakfast Program, which 
                helps ensure eligible children are ready to learn; to 
                the Summer Food Service Program, which serves healthy 
                meals and snacks to low-income children during long 
                school vacations; to the Child and Adult Care Food 
                Program, which provides nutritious meals and snacks to 
                infants and young children in day care and to adults 
                with physical or mental disabilities who are enrolled 
                in adult day care. Most recently, we authorized funding 
                through the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act of 1998 
                to make snacks available to children and teenagers 
                enrolled in after-school programs.

                We can be proud that these school meal programs promote 
                the well-being of some of our Nation's most vulnerable 
                children by providing them with the nourishment they 
                need to develop healthy bodies and sound minds. 
                Nutritious meals help students reach their full 
                potential by keeping them alert and attentive in the 
                classroom. As both common sense and extensive 
                scientific research confirm, a hungry child cannot 
                focus on schoolwork as well as one who has been fed a 
                nutritious meal.

                The National School Lunch Program also offers us a 
                valuable tool for identifying children who are eligible 
                for health insurance under Medicaid or the State 
                Children's Health Insurance Program. Since 60 percent 
                of children who lack adequate health coverage 
                participate in the school lunch program, sharing 
                eligibility information can improve our outreach 
                efforts and bring us closer to our goal of universal 
                health care for all of America's children. My proposed 
                budget for fiscal 2001 sets aside $345 million over 10 
                years to help schools share information with Medicaid 
                and the State Children's Health Insurance Program so 
                that we can enhance our efforts to reach eligible 
                children and their families. In addition, this summer I 
                announced an initiative to expand the school lunch 
                program to the developing world. This initiative will 
                make school lunches and breakfasts available in the 
                poorest countries for the poorest children, helping 
                students whose deficiencies in nutrition affect their 
                cognitive development and attracting children who 
                otherwise might never attend school.

[[Page 60574]]

                As we observe National School Lunch Week this year, let 
                us pay tribute to the thousands of State and local 
                school food service professionals across America whose 
                hard work and dedication make these programs a reality 
                for our children; and let us acknowledge the important 
                role school lunches play in the healthy development of 
                so many students.

                In recognition of the contributions of the National 
                School Lunch Program to the health, education, and 
                well-being of our Nation's children, the Congress, by 
                joint resolution of October 9, 1962 (Public Law 87-
                780), has designated the week beginning the second 
                Sunday in October of each year as ``National School 
                Lunch Week'' and has requested the President to issue a 
                proclamation in observance of this week.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the 
                United States of America, do hereby proclaim October 8 
                through October 14, 2000, as National School Lunch 
                Week. I call upon all Americans to recognize those 
                individuals whose efforts contribute so much to the 
                success of our national child nutrition programs, 
                whether at the Federal, State, or local level.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand, and of the Independence of the United States 
                of America the two hundred and twenty-fifth.

                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 00-26393
Filed 10-11-00; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P