[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 128, 113th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 9206--OCT. 31, 2014

Proclamation 9206 of October 31, 2014

National Family Caregivers Month, 2014

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Each day, courageous individuals step forward to help care for family
members in need, their quiet acts of selflessness and sacrifice telling
a story of love and devotion. Across our country, parents and children,
siblings and spouses, friends and neighbors heroically give of
themselves to support those in their lives affected by illness, injury,
or disability. During National Family Caregivers Month, we salute the
people who play difficult and exhausting roles, and we recommit to
lifting up these Americans as they care for their loved ones while
protecting their dignity and individuality.
In the United States, more than 60 million caregivers provide invaluable
strength and assistance to their family members, and as the number of
older Americans rises, so will the number of caregivers. Many of these
dedicated people work full time and raise children of their own while
also caring for the needs of their loved ones. Caregivers support the
independence of their family members and enable them to more fully
participate in their communities, and as a Nation, we have an obligation
to empower these selfless individuals.
My Administration continues to work to improve many of the resources on
which caregivers depend. The Affordable Care Act invested in programs
that expand home and community-based services. To lift up a new
generation of service members--our 9/11 Generation--we are fighting to
ensure those who care for them have access to the support they need,
including financial assistance, comprehensive caregiver training, mental
health services and counseling, and respite care. Many caregivers rely
on workplace flexibility and reasonable accommodations, and this year my
Administration held the first-ever White House Summit on Working
Families to develop a comprehensive agenda that ensures hard-working
Americans do not have to choose between being productive employees and
responsible family members. And next year, we will host the White House
Conference on Aging, which will focus on the needs of older Americans
and those who care for them.
Not only this month, but every month, let us work alongside our Nation's
caregivers and make certain they are able to provide the best possible
care for their loved ones for as long as necessary. Together, we
recognize those who place service above self, including the women and
men looking after our veterans. By offering them the same comfort,
social engagement, and stability they bring to others, may we remind
them that they are not alone.

[[Page 4285]]

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 2014 as
National Family Caregivers Month. I encourage all Americans to pay
tribute to those who provide for the health and well-being of their
family members, friends, and neighbors.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of
October, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
ninth.
BARACK OBAMA