[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 196 (Tuesday, October 12, 2010)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 62449-62450]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-25682]


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                         Presidential Documents 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 196 / Tuesday, October 12, 2010 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 62449]]

                Proclamation 8578 of October 4, 2010

                
Child Health Day, 2010

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                The health and well-being of a child is one of our most 
                challenging, yet important, responsibilities, and we 
                have an obligation to ensure that all our children can 
                live, learn, and play in safe and healthy environments. 
                On Child Health Day, we reaffirm the critical 
                importance of the quality health care, nutritious 
                foods, clean air and water, and safe communities our 
                kids need to grow into strong and active adults.

                Parents and other caregivers set an example of healthy 
                living and lay the foundation for our children's 
                success. Whether providing nourishing meals, attending 
                regular check-ups, or encouraging outside activity, 
                they teach the habits and values for mental and 
                physical well-being that last a lifetime. However, the 
                charge to protect the health of our young people 
                extends beyond the home to our classrooms, playgrounds, 
                and hospitals around the country.

                Today, our children face a new public health crisis we 
                must address as a Nation, and we all have a role to 
                play. In the last three decades, childhood obesity 
                rates have tripled, and this epidemic threatens many 
                young Americans, leaving them at risk for severe and 
                chronic health problems, including heart disease, 
                diabetes, and cancer. My Administration is committed to 
                solving the childhood obesity epidemic within a 
                generation, and earlier this year I created a Task 
                Force on Childhood Obesity to examine interagency 
                solutions and develop clear, concrete steps on how to 
                address this national health crisis. Along with the 
                Task Force, First Lady Michelle Obama's ``Let's Move!'' 
                initiative empowers parents and caregivers to help 
                their kids maintain a healthy weight and make healthy 
                choices for their families. ``Let's Move!'' also 
                encourages young people to choose wholesome foods, 
                increase their physical activity, and develop life-long 
                healthy habits. Child care providers and schools also 
                have an important part in strengthening health and 
                physical education programs and providing nutritious 
                foods in cafeterias and vending areas.

                In America, no parent should have to agonize over 
                finding or affording health care for their child. To 
                address this, the Affordable Care Act guarantees that 
                children are eligible for health coverage regardless of 
                any pre-existing condition. This landmark law extends 
                the Children's Health Insurance Program, and requires 
                basic dental and vision coverage for children under all 
                health plans offered in the new health insurance 
                exchanges beginning in 2014. It also expands our health 
                care workforce, including increasing the number of 
                primary care providers who treat children; forbids 
                insurance companies from dropping coverage if a child 
                or family member gets sick; and helps ensure access to 
                free preventive services. As we mark these successes 
                and the beginning of a new chapter in American health 
                care this year, we also celebrate the 75th anniversary 
                of the Social Security Act--including title V of this 
                milestone legislation, which supports maternal and 
                child health programs and services across the country.

                Parents also should not have to worry about whether the 
                conditions in which their children grow and play are 
                unsafe or unclean. Prenatal and early-life exposures to 
                allergens and environmental contaminants may

[[Page 62450]]

                have detrimental lifelong effects. We must take action 
                for our children's and grandchildren's sake, and we 
                must work together to reduce risks from environmental 
                exposure at home, school, and play areas. Through 
                coordinated efforts like that of the President's Task 
                Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to 
                Children, my Administration will continue to empower 
                Federal interagency collaboration to help ensure 
                healthy homes and communities exist for our children.

                Children are our most precious resource. They are our 
                joy in the present, and our hope for the future. As 
                loved ones and educators, mentors and friends, we must 
                do everything in our power to protect the health and 
                well-being of our Nation's children and the promise of 
                their futures.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, 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 Monday, October 4, 
                2010, as Child Health Day. I call upon families, child 
                health professionals, faith-based and community 
                organizations, and all levels of government 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 ten, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth. 
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2010-25682
Filed 10-8-10; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-W1-P