[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 23 (Monday, June 9, 2003)]
[Pages 699-700]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 7683--National Child's Day, 2003

May 30, 2003

By the President of the United States

of America

A Proclamation

    On National Child's Day, we celebrate the future of our Nation and 
the promise of America's youth. As a Nation, as parents, and as 
community members, we have a responsibility to build a secure and 
nurturing society so that our children have the opportunity to grow, 
learn, work, and succeed.
    Creating an environment that instills important values, builds 
strong character, and provides sound education for our children is a 
vital national priority. With a firm foundation, children will be better 
able to face the challenges of the future.
    Parents are a child's first teachers, and they can be the most 
effective instructors. One of the most helpful activities parents can do 
with their children is read with them. Children who develop a love for 
reading expand their imaginations and cultivate a thirst for learning 
that lasts a lifetime. By talking, listening, and reading to our 
children, we can help them build the confidence they need to succeed in 
life. Parents' role as educators becomes even more important as schools 
across the country prepare for summer recess. Summertime is not only a 
time for children to relax and play, it is also a time for parents to 
strengthen their ties to their children by spending time with them and 
helping them to broaden their experiences.
    To expand on the important work that parents do, my Administration 
has taken significant steps to help give our children greater 
opportunities to learn. By improving our education system and 
encouraging early reading and language skills, we give our children the 
tools they will need to succeed in the world they will inherit from us. 
Children also benefit from the immeasurable care and support of their 
teachers, and are inspired by the model they set.
    Outside the home and the classroom, there are many adults who touch 
children's lives. Family, mentors, neighbors, and friends can help mold 
America's next generation through their positive examples, showing 
children how to help those in need and encouraging them to set high 
standards for themselves. To help instill the value of volunteer 
service, the USA Freedom Corps, through the Students in Service to 
America initiative, is helping to create ways for young people to give 
back to their communities. By using their time, talents, and compassion 
to make a difference in the lives of others, America's children are 
learning to become responsible and engaged leaders in our democratic 
society.
    On this special day, we celebrate the possibility of every boy and 
girl in America. In their faces, we see the hope of our Nation. America 
is dedicated to their welfare and the full development of their 
potential.
    Now, Therefore, I, George W. Bush, President of the United States of 
America,

[[Page 700]]

by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of 
the United States, do hereby proclaim June 1, 2003, as National Child's 
Day. I urge parents to spend more time with their children, read to 
them, listen to their concerns, offer guidance and love, and encourage 
their dreams. I also urge all Americans to set a positive example for 
our children and to assist parents in setting them on the path to 
success. And I call upon citizens to observe this day with appropriate 
programs, ceremonies, and activities.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day 
of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand three, and of the 
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-
seventh.
                                                George W. Bush

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., June 3, 2003]

Note: This proclamation was released by the Office of the Press 
Secretary on May 31, and it was published in the Federal Register on 
June 4.