[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 40 (Monday, October 9, 2000)]
[Pages 2274-2275]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 7349--Child Health Day, 2000

September 29, 2000

By the President of the United States

of America

A Proclamation

    As parents and as concerned citizens, we have a profound 
responsibility to ensure that America's children not only receive a 
healthy start in life, but also that they continue to grow and develop 
in a nurturing environment where they have the opportunity to reach 
their full potential.
    Recognizing the importance of healthy, happy children to the future 
of our Nation, my Administration has strived to offer America's families 
the tools they need to fulfill their responsibilities. In 1997, I was 
proud to sign into law the Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP), the 
largest investment in children's health care since the creation of 
Medicaid 35 years ago. This innovative program allows States to use 
Federal funds to provide health insurance for children of working 
families whose incomes are too high to qualify for Medicaid but too low 
to afford private health insurance. Children with health insurance are 
more likely to receive the immunizations and other preventive care they 
need to avoid serious illnesses and to enjoy a healthier start in life. 
In March of 1997, only 4 States provided such coverage for children. 
Today, 30 States have plans approved to cover qualified children, and I 
have proposed an additional $5.5 billion over the next 10 years to cover 
even more children and to raise awareness of CHIP among families who may 
not realize they are eligible.
    In addition to quality health care, children need nutritious meals 
every day. I am pleased that our national school lunch program provides 
healthy lunches to more than 25 million students in more than 96,000 
schools across our nation, ensuring that some of our most vulnerable 
children can look forward to at least one healthy meal each day. We can 
also be heartened to know that children enrolled in programs funded 
under the Department of Agriculture's Special Supplemental Program for 
Women, Infants, and Children not only receive the nutritious food they 
need, but also are immunized earlier, perform better in school, and 
spend less time in the doctor's office.
    Since 1965, in addition to engaging parents in the early educational 
development of their children, the Head Start program has provided 
medical, mental health, nutrition, and dental services to more than 17 
million children from birth to age 5. My Administration will continue 
this investment by increasing Head Start funding in our proposed fiscal

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2001 budget by $1 billion--the largest Head Start expansion in history.
    It is also our responsibility to ensure that our children feel part 
of a safe, strong, nurturing community. Through our Safe Schools/Healthy 
Students initiative, my Administration is helping parents, school 
principals, police, and mental health providers to collaborate on local 
solutions to school and youth violence. My proposed budget for fiscal 
2001 includes an increase of more than $100 million for this program. I 
have also called on the Congress to allow eligible workers under the 
Family and Medical Leave Act to take up to 24 hours of additional leave 
each year to meet family obligations, including school activities such 
as parent-teacher conferences. America is enjoying a period of 
unprecedented economic success today; but we will never be truly 
successful as a Nation until we ensure that all families have the tools 
and opportunity they need in order to raise healthy children. To 
acknowledge the importance of our children's health, the Congress, by 
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 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 2, 2000, as Child 
Health Day. I call upon families, schools, communities, and governments 
to dedicate themselves to promoting and protecting the health and well-
being of all our children.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth 
day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand, and of the 
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-
fifth.
                                            William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., October 3, 
2000]

Note: This proclamation was released by the Office of the Press 
Secretary on September 30, and it was published in the Federal Register 
on October 4.