[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 64 (Tuesday, April 6, 2021)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 17679-17680]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-07167]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 64 / Tuesday, April 6, 2021 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 17679]]


                Proclamation 10167 of March 31, 2021

                
National Child Abuse Prevention Month, 2021

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                As we begin to emerge from a year of unprecedented 
                stress and hardship, children and families need our 
                support more than ever. The confluence of a devastating 
                pandemic and the worst economic crisis in nearly a 
                century have increased the risk for child abuse and 
                neglect as Americans grapple with the compounding 
                challenges of school and child care facility closures, 
                social isolation, and increased financial instability. 
                Children and families of color--who so often across our 
                history have been underserved, marginalized, and 
                adversely affected by persistent poverty and 
                inequality--face even greater adversity today as they 
                disproportionately carry the burdens of the COVID-19 
                crisis. During National Child Abuse Prevention Month, 
                and throughout the entire year, it is imperative that 
                we join together as one Nation to combat child abuse in 
                all of its forms--through neglect, mistreatment, or 
                physical, emotional, or sexual abuse.

                Community-based child abuse prevention programs are a 
                critical tool for preventing the mistreatment of 
                children and advancing equity. Authorized by Title II 
                of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, the 
                purpose of community-based child abuse prevention 
                programs is to support local efforts that strengthen 
                and support families to reduce the likelihood of child 
                abuse. These programs offer comprehensive assistance 
                that improves family stabilization, while also 
                fostering meaningful engagement with diverse 
                populations to promote effective prevention strategies.

                Across our country, a vast network of frontline 
                workers, court and legal professionals, faith leaders, 
                volunteers, teachers, and helpful loved ones and 
                neighbors work every day to support the wellbeing of 
                our children. They deserve our recognition and our 
                sincere gratitude, particularly in the midst of this 
                difficult year. Though the pandemic has changed the 
                ways that they interact with the families they serve, 
                they have shown remarkable resilience, and their 
                dedication to preventing child abuse continues to 
                transform lives.

                We recognize that within the larger context of 
                addressing child abuse, there is a need to specifically 
                address issues of sexual violence against children and 
                adolescents. My Administration is committed to 
                expanding efforts to improve prevention initiatives, 
                enhance trauma-informed responses to assist children 
                and adolescents impacted by sexual violence, and work 
                toward healing and justice. It is an imperative not 
                only in the United States, but also in galvanizing 
                global action to end sexual violence against children 
                and adolescents.

                National Child Abuse Prevention Month is a time for us 
                to not only honor those who work to support children 
                and strengthen families, but to shine a light on the 
                many ways we can all play a role in preventing children 
                from being harmed. The Prevention Resource Guide, an 
                annual publication by the Department of Health and 
                Human Services, Administration for Children and 
                Families Children's Bureau outlines actions that can be 
                taken by communities, organizations, families, and 
                individuals to address the root causes of child abuse 
                and provide meaningful and equitable support to 
                families. You can access the Prevention Resource Guide 
                and other resources

[[Page 17680]]

                at the Child Welfare Information Gateway's Child Abuse 
                Prevention Month website. By increasing efforts to 
                prevent child abuse, we will help children, families, 
                and communities thrive.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., 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 2021 as 
                National Child Abuse Prevention Month. I call upon all 
                Americans to protect our Nation's greatest resource--
                its children--and to take an active role in supporting 
                children and parents and creating safe communities 
                filled with thriving families.

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

[FR Doc. 2021-07167
Filed 4-5-21; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3295-F1-P