[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 33, Number 41 (Monday, October 13, 1997)]
[Pages 1504-1505]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 7033--Child Health Day, 1997

October 6, 1997

By the President of the United States

of America

A Proclamation

    For children, childhood seems to last forever; but for adults--
particularly for those of us who are parents--it passes in the blink of 
an eye. The little girl smiling at us from her tricycle and the little 
boy running to catch the school bus will soon be driving away to their 
first jobs. One of the greatest gifts we can offer our children while 
they are still in our care is a healthy start in life.
    We are making tremendous progress as a nation in helping more 
children get that healthy start. This year I signed into law historic 
legislation to extend health care coverage to millions of uninsured 
children. This $24 billion initiative over 5 years is the largest 
investment in children's health since the creation of Medicaid in 1965. 
On October 1, the Federal Government and the States began a partnership 
to help provide meaningful health insurance to children whose families 
earn too much for Medicaid but too little to afford private coverage.
    This new initiative will take an enormous step toward improving the 
health of our Nation's children. In 1995, approximately 10 million of 
them were not covered by health insurance, and they were either 
ineligible for or not enrolled in publicly financed medical assistance 
programs. Last year, another 800,000 uninsured children joined their 
ranks. These children are less likely to receive the primary care 
services they need to maintain good health, and they are at risk of 
receiving lower quality care. Too often they become trapped in a tragic 
downward spiral--poor health keeps them out of school, keeps them from 
pursuing their studies with energy and enthusiasm, and often keeps them 
from acquiring the knowledge and self-esteem they need to reach their 
full potential. With this new children's health initiative, we can 
provide millions of children the coverage they need to grow up healthy 
and strong.
    We are making progress in other areas, as well. Thanks to advances 
in medical research and our increasing knowledge about prevention and 
the importance of good nutrition, many childhood diseases and illnesses 
can now be averted. Funding for childhood immunization has doubled since 
1993, and immunization rates are at an all-time high. In addition, we 
recently announced an important Food and Drug Administration regulation 
requiring manufacturers to do studies on pediatric populations for new 
prescription drugs--and those currently on the market--to ensure that 
our prescription drugs have been adequately tested for the unique needs 
of children. We have dramatically increased participation in the Women, 
Infants and Children Supplemental Nutrition Program, providing nutrition 
packages and information and health referrals to more than 7 million 
infants, children, and pregnant women. With the enactment of the 
Kassebaum-Kennedy bill last year, we have helped millions of children 
keep their healthcare coverage when their parents change or lose jobs.

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    We are also taking strong actions to prevent our children from 
smoking. Each day 3,000 children become regular smokers and 1,000 of 
them will die from a tobacco-related illness. Last year, my 
Administration issued guidelines to eliminate easy access to tobacco 
products and to prohibit companies from directing advertising towards 
children.
    To acknowledge our profound responsibility to nurture the health and 
development of America's children, the Congress, by joint resolution 
approved May 18, 1928, as amended (36 U.S.C. 143), has called for the 
designation of the first Monday in October as ``Child Health Day'' and 
has requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of 
this day.
    Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United 
States of America, do hereby proclaim Monday, October 6, 1997, as Child 
Health Day. I call upon my fellow Americans to join me on that day, and 
every day throughout the year, in strengthening our national commitment 
to the well-being of our children.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this sixth day of 
October, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-seven, and 
of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and 
twenty-second.
                                            William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., October 7, 
1997]

Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on October 
8.