[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 66 (Monday, April 6, 2020)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 19363-19364]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-07303]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 66 / Monday, April 6, 2020 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 19363]]


                Proclamation 10002 of March 31, 2020

                
National Child Abuse Prevention Month, 2020

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Childhood should be filled with joy, hope, 
                unconditional love, and acceptance. Tragically, 
                however, far too many of our Nation's young people 
                spend this foundational time of their lives in fear, 
                pain, and uncertainty, enduring abuse and neglect that 
                threatens their health and well-being. During National 
                Child Abuse Prevention Month, we condemn this horrific 
                depravity and reaffirm our unwavering commitment to 
                protecting our children and strengthening our families.

                Each year, hundreds of thousands of children across our 
                country suffer from abuse and neglect, a fact that is 
                both sobering and heart-wrenching. In January, I signed 
                an Executive Order to coordinate the Federal 
                Government's efforts to prosecute individuals who 
                sexually exploit children online, protect and support 
                victims of child exploitation, and provide prevention 
                education to raise awareness and help lower the 
                incidence of child exploitation. I also signed into law 
                legislation to enhance our child welfare systems by 
                supporting at-risk families through mental health and 
                substance abuse treatment and programs to develop 
                parenting skills.

                With our international partners in Australia, Canada, 
                New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, the United States 
                developed the Voluntary Principles to Counter Online 
                Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse. The Voluntary 
                Principles establish a baseline framework for companies 
                that provide online services to deter use of the 
                internet as a tool for sexually exploiting and abusing 
                children. Several major technology companies have 
                publicly adopted the principles and more will follow in 
                the coming months. These companies have a 
                responsibility to prevent their platforms from becoming 
                a haven for child predators and to also ensure law 
                enforcement is able to investigate and prosecute 
                offenders when children have been victimized.

                Child abuse causes the loss of innocence and hope. 
                Loving, devoted, and caring families can serve as a 
                bulwark against our children suffering from neglect and 
                abuse. Child Welfare Information Gateway, the 
                information service of the Department of Health and 
                Human Services' Children's Bureau, offers several 
                resources on preventing child abuse and promoting 
                healthy families through its National Child Abuse 
                Prevention Month website. Familiarizing yourself with 
                the information provided by the Department of Health 
                and Human Services can help you learn more about what 
                you and your community can do to support children and 
                families during this month and throughout the year.

                To eradicate this blight on our society, compassionate 
                and concerned Americans must work to effect change and 
                impact young lives. Child welfare agencies, clergy 
                members, educators, medical and law enforcement 
                professionals, neighbors, friends, and extended family 
                members all contribute to protecting and nurturing our 
                Nation's youth. Foster, kinship, and adoptive parents 
                open their hearts and their homes to children in crisis 
                and empower them to find happiness and achieve their 
                dreams. Working together, these forces for good can 
                ensure the welfare of children who have experienced the 
                traumas of abuse or neglect and give them a promising 
                future.

[[Page 19364]]

                The success of our Nation is reflected in our economic 
                and cultural prosperity and military might, but our 
                character is revealed by how we cherish and protect the 
                weak, innocent, and vulnerable. All children are 
                uniquely created in the image of God and gifted with 
                both purpose and unlimited potential. We can and must 
                relentlessly protect our children, homes, and 
                communities from the scourge of these shameful 
                tragedies and support families and communities to 
                ensure that all children have the opportunity to reach 
                their potential.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, 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 April 2020 as 
                National Child Abuse Prevention Month. I call upon all 
                Americans to invest in the lives of our Nation's 
                children, to be aware of their safety and well-being, 
                and to support efforts that promote their 
                psychological, physical, and emotional development.

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

[FR Doc. 2020-07303
Filed 4-3-20; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3295-F0-P