    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 124, 111th Congress, 2nd Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    PROCLAMATION 8578--OCT. 4, 2010

    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

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    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
    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.
    BARACK OBAMA