[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 226 (Wednesday, November 23, 2016)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 85103-85104]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-28467]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 81 , No. 226 / Wednesday, November 23, 2016 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 85103]]


                Proclamation 9545 of November 18, 2016

                
National Child's Day, 2016

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                No matter what zip code they are born into, every young 
                child in America deserves the opportunity to learn, 
                grow, and realize their dreams in a safe and healthy 
                environment. From ensuring they are cared for and 
                nourished to helping them become educated participants 
                in our democracy, we must all do our part to support 
                the next generation of leaders. Today, let us lift up 
                every child in need and strive to leave behind a world 
                that we are proud of for children across our country.

                My Administration has worked to put children in every 
                community on a path to a healthier future. Through 
                First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative, we 
                have fostered environments that support healthy 
                choices, promote physical activity, and reduce 
                childhood obesity. We have also fought to improve Head 
                Start and expand quality, affordable child care, which 
                promotes healthy development and school readiness in 
                young children and helps families be more financially 
                secure at home. Because of the broader coverage 
                expansions made possible by the Affordable Care Act 
                (ACA), and improvements made to the Children's Health 
                Insurance Plan through legislation I signed during my 
                first month in office, more than 3 million children 
                have gotten health insurance and the uninsured rate 
                among children has fallen by almost half since 2008. 
                And because of the ACA, children can no longer be 
                denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition. 
                They can also remain on a parent's health insurance 
                plan until age 26, and all plans on the Health 
                Insurance Marketplace are now required to cover basic 
                pediatric services. Anyone who is in need of health 
                insurance can visit www.HealthCare.gov to find coverage 
                for themselves and their children. You can also visit 
                www.Medicaid.gov to find out if you qualify for 
                coverage through Medicaid.

                It is one of our greatest obligations to create cleaner 
                and safer environments for our children to live in. Not 
                only must we protect our planet against climate change 
                and secure it for future generations, but we must 
                continue taking concrete action to reduce the effects 
                that dirty air and water can impose on our children--
                such as the potential for higher incidence of asthma 
                attacks. We must also work to keep our children safe 
                from violence and abuse, prevent youth substance use 
                and its consequences, and modernize our juvenile 
                justice system to hold youth accountable for their 
                actions without consigning them to a never-ending cycle 
                of incarceration.

                We know that when we invest in young children, the 
                outcomes are significant--and by investing in early 
                education and preschool for all, we can set children up 
                for success later in life. Education has the potential 
                to unlock ladders of opportunity and empower children 
                to pursue their passions, and we must continue working 
                to strengthen our Nation's education system for 
                children at every grade level. That is why my 
                Administration has pursued efforts to bring higher 
                education within reach for more students and make 
                college more affordable.

                Our journey is not complete until all our children are 
                cared for, cherished, and safe from harm. On National 
                Child's Day, let us forge a future of greater 
                opportunity and prosperity for every young person, and 
                let us seek

[[Page 85104]]

                to reach our greatest potential as a Nation by ensuring 
                our daughters and sons can live up to theirs.

                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 November 20, 2016, as 
                National Child's Day. I call upon all citizens to 
                observe this day with appropriate activities, programs, 
                and ceremonies, and to rededicate ourselves to creating 
                the bright future we want for our Nation's children.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                eighteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand sixteen, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and forty-first.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2016-28467
Filed 11-22-16; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F7-P