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

 
Proclamation 9854 of March 29, 2019

National Child Abuse Prevention Month, 2019

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Every child deserves the security of a stable, loving, and nurturing
home. During National Child Abuse Prevention Month, we recognize the
importance of all Americans working together each day in defense of the
most vulnerable among us--our children. We must make every effort to
ensure that they are treated with dignity and respect, and have the
opportunity to pursue their dreams in secure and healthy environments.
The relationships that children have with parents, family members,
teachers, and other caregivers profoundly shape their lives. When they
are subjected to abuse and neglect, they are exposed to toxic stress
that can disrupt early brain development and increase the risk of
depression, suicide, substance abuse, developmental disabilities, future
violence, juvenile delinquency, and other unhealthy behaviors. These and
other devastating effects of child abuse can last a lifetime, and can
even affect future generations.
As a Nation, we must do everything within our power to stop child abuse
and neglect before they occur. The best defense against these menaces is
a strong family led by loving and caring parents. My Administration has
a broad vision for strengthening families, which includes raising
awareness, focusing on prevention, and working to help parents and
children thrive. For this reason, I signed into law the Family First
Prevention Services Act--an important step in helping move child welfare
to a more prevention-based system. This legislation increases the
support available to at-risk families through services such as mental
health and substance abuse treatment and parenting skill-

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based programs, so that more children may remain safely in their homes
and communities.
We cannot lose sight of the importance of the entire community in
preventing child abuse and neglect. It is critically important for our
children to have parents who care for their physical, intellectual, and
emotional needs. But we also must acknowledge the friends, neighbors,
educators, and faith leaders who help in promoting the well-being of
children. We are especially grateful for foster and adoptive parents who
graciously open their homes and lives to children in need of love and
support. And we extend our deepest respect and gratitude to the
professionals, volunteers, and organizations who work tirelessly to
protect at-risk children and to care for those who have tragically
experienced the traumas of abuse or neglect.
We pray for all those who have suffered from the terrors of child abuse
and neglect and who continue to suffer from its devastating
psychological and physical impacts. We honor the courageous survivors of
abuse and neglect and hold in our hearts those cruelly taken from us. We
strengthen our resolve to eradicate abuse and neglect from our homes and
communities, and we pledge our unwavering commitment to preserving the
innocence and safety of our Nation's children. Let us all strive each
day to build a brighter future for them and for our country.
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 April 2019 as National
Child Abuse Prevention Month. I call upon all Americans to invest in the
lives of our Nation's children, to be aware of their safety and well-
being, and to support efforts that promote their psychological,
physical, and emotional development.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth day of
March, in the year of our Lord two thousand nineteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-
third.
DONALD J. TRUMP