[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 143 (Wednesday, July 25, 2001)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 38889-38890]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-18734]



[[Page 38887]]

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Part VI





The President





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Proclamation 7456--Parents' Day 2001
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  Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 143 / Wednesday, July 25, 2001 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 38889]]

                Proclamation 7456 of July 21, 2001

                
Parents' Day 2001

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Being a parent is the most important job in the world. 
                As we hold a newborn in our arms or embrace an older 
                adopted child, the promise we make in our hearts to 
                love, protect, and nurture our children stays with us 
                and with them forever. We are eternally linked to the 
                children whom we are blessed to parent and to the 
                generations before us who helped shape our lives.

                Both mothers and fathers play a vital role in giving 
                children the best possible start in life. As parents, 
                we provide our children with the love and support they 
                need to grow up to be caring individuals and 
                responsible citizens. The care we express and the 
                values we instill help our children achieve their 
                greatest potential and ultimately will determine the 
                future of our Nation.

                Unfortunately, children who lack a strong parental 
                presence in their lives can suffer over both the short 
                and the long term. Study after study has demonstrated 
                that children who grow up without both parents in their 
                home are more likely to end up in poverty, drop out of 
                school, become addicted to drugs, have a child out of 
                wedlock, or go to prison. Single-parented children who 
                avoid these unfortunate outcomes will nevertheless miss 
                out on the balance, unity, and stability that a two-
                parent family can bring.

                Recognizing that strong families make a strong America, 
                I have committed my Administration to help parents do 
                better by encouraging the formation and maintenance of 
                loving families. We have proposed several major 
                initiatives designed to promote responsible fatherhood, 
                strengthen families, and make adoption easier and more 
                affordable, so that every child has a better chance of 
                living in a stable and loving home. We also have 
                achieved widespread support for the historic reform of 
                our public education system that will significantly 
                improve our schools. This improvement is founded on the 
                core principles of my education reform agenda, which 
                include: accountability; flexibility; local control; 
                and more choices for parents.

                Government bears an important responsibility to provide 
                excellent schools and educational programs that leave 
                no child behind; but Government cannot replace the love 
                and nurturing of committed parents that are essential 
                for a child's well-being. Many community organizations, 
                centers of faith, and schools offer services and 
                programs to help parents improve their child-rearing 
                skills. As we observe Parents' Day, I encourage all 
                Americans to join me in honoring the millions of 
                mothers and fathers, biological and adoptive, foster 
                parents, and stepparents, whose selfless love and hard-
                working efforts are building better lives for their 
                children and our Nation.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United 
                States and consistent with Public Law 103-362, do 
                hereby proclaim Sunday, July 22, 2001, as Parents' Day. 
                I urge all Americans to express their love, respect, 
                support, and appreciation to their parents, and I call 
                upon citizens to observe this day with appropriate 
                programs, ceremonies, and activities.

[[Page 38890]]

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

                    (Presidential Sig.)B

[FR Doc. 01-18734
Filed 7-24-01; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P