[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 130, 114th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9412 of March 31, 2016

National Child Abuse Prevention Month, 2016

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

All children deserve to grow up in a caring and loving environment, yet
across America, hundreds of thousands of children are neglected or
abused each year, often causing lasting consequences. Although
effectively intervening in the lives of these children and their
families is an important responsibility at all levels of government,
preventing abuse and neglect is a shared obligation. During National
Child Abuse Prevention Month, we recommit to giving every child a chance
to succeed and to ensuring that every child grows up in a safe, stable,
and nurturing environment that is free from abuse and neglect.

Preventing child abuse is an effort that we must undertake as one
American family, and in our schools, neighborhoods, and communities, we
must look after every child as if they are our own. Between four and
eight children die every day from abuse or neglect, but together we can
prevent these tragedies from occurring. Children who are being abused or
neglected may display constant alertness, sudden changes in behavior and
school performance, or untreated physical or medical issues. Child abuse
may take many forms, including neglect and physical,
sexual, or emotional abuse. More information on prevent- ing child abuse
can be found at www.ChildWelfare.gov/Preventing.

All families can benefit from strong support systems and resources in
the face of these challenges, and as parents, friends, neighbors, and
fel

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low human beings, keeping our kids safe is among our highest priorities.
My Administration is dedicated to fostering healthy and supportive
conditions that enable our children to develop and thrive and that
ensure parents and caretakers have the resources they need to properly
care for their children. We are supporting efforts that lift up
vulnerable families, improve the coordination of programs and services
within communities, and promote meaningful and measurable changes in the
lives of children across America to improve their social and emotional
well-being. The effects of child abuse and neglect can negatively impact
a child throughout their life. Together, we must address this issue so
that our children and our children's children never know the pain caused
by child abuse.
Our Nation's enduring commitment to prevent child abuse and neglect
demands that individuals and communities partner together to provide
safe and nurturing environments for all of America's daughters and sons.
We must all join in the work of uplifting and safeguarding our youngest
individuals and ensuring they are limited by nothing but the size of
their dreams and the range of their aspirations. This month, let us aim
to eradicate child abuse from our society, and let us secure a future
for our children that is bright and full of hope, opportunity, and
security.
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 April 2016 as National
Child Abuse Prevention Month. I call upon all Americans to observe this
month with programs and activities that help prevent child abuse and
provide for children's physical, emotional, and developmental needs.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of
March, in the year of our Lord two thousand sixteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
fortieth.
BARACK OBAMA