    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 133, 116th Congress, 1st Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    Proclamation 9944 of October 4, 2019

    Child Health Day, 2019

    By the President of the United States of America

    A Proclamation

    On Child Health Day, we recognize that America's children are the
    promise of our Nation, and their health and well-being are among our
    greatest responsibilities. Today, we recommit to our children growing
    strong, dreaming big, and reaching their full potential.
    In partnership with families and communities, my Administration is
    implementing new Federal programs and supporting new State-level
    initiatives that help diagnose, prevent, and combat diseases and
    maintain health and wellness from childhood through adulthood. The
    Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant Program continues to
    provide funding to all States to improve access to quality healthcare
    services for low-income women, children, and families by improving the
    outcomes of high-risk pregnancies, reducing infant deaths, promoting
    childhood immunizations, and protecting against diseases. Additionally,
    I have approved funding for the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood
    Home Visiting Program to support Federal, State, and community partners
    in offering voluntary home visiting services that empower caregivers
    with the evidence-based skills and resources they need to raise healthy
    and happy children. I also signed into law the SUPPORT Act, which
    addresses the most vulnerable victims of the opioid crisis by allowing
    State Medicaid programs to cover healthcare services for infants
    suffering from neonatal abstinence syndrome in residential pediatric
    recovery centers.
    My Administration is also working to eradicate the leading cause of
    post-infancy death among our Nation's young people--childhood cancer.
    Working with the Congress, the Federal Government will invest $500
    million over the next decade in pediatric cancer research. This funding
    will enable our Nation's best scientists and doctors to learn from those
    young people living with this disease, creating new opportunities to
    understand the unique causes of and best cures for childhood cancer. We
    must continue to employ every resource available to

    [[Page 3464]]

    ensure that the more than 15,000 children and adolescents under the age
    of 19 diagnosed with cancer each year receive the best possible care and
    treatment so they can triumph in their battle against this horrible
    disease.
    America's young people are facing unprecedented challenges at school, in
    their homes, and in their communities. From bullying and negative social
    media interactions to the impacts of the opioid crisis on themselves and
    their loved ones, we must do more to foster an environment that promotes
    a culture of respect for every human life. That is why I am proud of the
    work our First Lady, Melania Trump, has undertaken through her BE BEST
    initiative to promote childhood health and well-being by encouraging
    healthy living, kindness, compassion, and respect. This remarkable
    program is helping children build a solid foundation to navigate life's
    many challenges and to develop positive social, emotional, and physical
    habits that will help them become future leaders of our great country.
    Parents play a critical role in raising healthy and happy children, and
    their important work is bolstered by the love and support of extended
    family, community members, caregivers, mentors, educators, faith
    leaders, and respectable role models. On Child Health Day, we urge all
    citizens to reaffirm their commitment to ensuring the physical,
    spiritual, and emotional health of our Nation's most precious resource.
    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, DONALD J. TRUMP, 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 7,
    2019, 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 fourth day of
    October, in the year of our Lord two thousand nineteen, and of the
    Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-
    fourth.
    DONALD J. TRUMP