[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 192 (Wednesday, October 5, 2022)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 60263-60264]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-21790]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 192 / Wednesday, October 5, 2022 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 60263]]


                Proclamation 10465 of September 30, 2022

                
Child Health Day, 2022

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Across America, parents are united by a common dream 
                that their children's lives will be healthier, happier, 
                and more promising than their own. On Child Health Day, 
                we rededicate ourselves to making that dream a reality 
                and recommit to providing every child with the quality 
                health care, child care, and education they need to 
                thrive.

                Supporting our children means--first and foremost--
                keeping them safe. The devastating truth is that guns 
                are currently the number one cause of death for 
                children in the United States. That is not acceptable, 
                and it is why I signed the first major bipartisan law 
                in nearly 30 years to keep firearms out of the hands of 
                people who are a danger to themselves and to others, 
                protecting innocent children from rampant gun 
                violence--especially in schools. This is just the 
                beginning; I will continue to push for an assault 
                weapon ban that will limit access to these dangerous 
                weapons on American streets and in our communities. No 
                child should have to live in fear.

                At the same time, no parent should have to lie awake at 
                night wondering how they will pay for the treatment or 
                hospital care their child needs. Thanks to the American 
                Rescue Plan and other key initiatives of my 
                Administration, one million children have gained health 
                coverage since I came into office. My Inflation 
                Reduction Act will also lower health insurance premiums 
                for 13 million Americans. To give hardworking parents 
                more breathing room during the pandemic, I expanded the 
                child tax credit--a measure estimated to have helped 
                cut child poverty by over 40 percent last year. This 
                money was a life-changer for families who too often 
                must choose between a paycheck and taking care of 
                themselves and their loved ones. Additionally, in 
                September, I convened the first White House Conference 
                on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in over 50 years, at 
                which we released a national strategy to create a 
                pathway to free, healthy school meals for all 
                children--beginning by expanding free school meals to 9 
                million more kids by 2032.

                My Administration's efforts to tackle the national 
                mental health crisis, especially among our Nation's 
                youth, build on these important measures. Today, 
                suicide is the second leading cause of death among 
                young people between the ages of 10 and 24, and over 
                the past several years, mental health emergencies have 
                increased among youth of all ages. In response, my 
                Administration is making it easier for children across 
                America to access mental health specialists through 
                their pediatricians' offices. We are helping to address 
                the harms of social media use on youth mental health 
                and investing billions of dollars to expand access to 
                mental health services and professionals in schools. We 
                are also educating States on ways to leverage all 
                Federal resources, including Medicaid, to improve the 
                delivery of health care in schools. Already, we are 
                making progress. As of July, the number of school 
                social workers has risen 54 percent relative to the 
                years before the pandemic. In the same period, the 
                number of counselors is up 22 percent, and the number 
                of school nurses has also increased by 22 percent.

                To protect our children from the COVID-19 pandemic, my 
                Administration rolled out vaccines for children 6 
                months and older, helping to ensure

[[Page 60264]]

                that kids and infants can be safer in all public 
                spaces, including classrooms and daycares. We are 
                delivering affordable high-speed internet to every 
                American so students no longer have to sit in fast food 
                parking lots just to use the Wi-Fi to do their 
                homework. I secured funding to help replace every 
                single lead pipe in the Nation so no one has to second-
                guess the quality of the water their child is drinking. 
                The Inflation Reduction Act will also replace thousands 
                of diesel school buses with electric buses, saving our 
                kids from inhaling dangerous fumes.

                I know there is so much more work to do to build a 
                future worthy of the hopes and dreams of our children. 
                We must secure free, high-quality preschool for every 
                American child and lower health care costs even more 
                for American families. I continue calling for tax 
                breaks for middle-class parents and for new laws that 
                keep our children safe from violence at school and at 
                home. I will do everything in my power to tackle the 
                climate crisis and pass down a healthier planet to 
                future generations. To win the competition for the 
                future, we must continue building a healthier and safer 
                Nation for our children. Our families and our country 
                depend on it.

                The Congress, by a joint resolution approved May 18, 
                1928, as amended (36 U.S.C. 105), has called for the 
                designation of the first Monday in October as Child 
                Health Day and has requested that the President issue a 
                proclamation in observance of this day.

                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 Monday, 
                October 3, 2022, as Child Health Day. I call upon 
                families, child health professionals, faith-based and 
                community organizations, and governments to help ensure 
                that America's children stay safe and healthy.

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

[FR Doc. 2022-21790
Filed 10-4-22; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F3-P