THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
___________________
For Immediate Release October 7,
2000
NATIONAL CHILDREN'S DAY, 2000
- - - - - - -
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
Children hold a special place in our lives, and raising healthy, happy
children is the greatest success any parent can hope to achieve; it should
also be an important goal of every member of society, because children are
profoundly influenced by the people and environment around them. The
strongest influence, of course, is often child's family; but good schools
and nurturing communities also play a vital role in helping children reach
their full potential.
Over the past 7-1/2 years, my Administration has worked with families
and communities across the country to meet the needs of America?s children,
and we can be proud of what we have accomplished together. We have made
education one of our highest priorities, to ensure that every child is
empowered with the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve personal
fulfillment and success. By expanding Head Start and Early Head Start for
preschoolers; promoting high academic standards, smaller class sizes,
teacher quality, and charter schools for primary and secondary school
students; and providing loans, scholarships, and tax credits so that
millions of young Americans can attend college, we are building a
world-class education system that will serve our children well.
We have achieved other important legislative victories for children
and families, including a $500 child tax credit, a $1 per hour increase in
the minimum wage, expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit, passing the
Family and Medical Leave Act, enacting the largest expansion of health
insurance for children ever, and creating incentives to move more children
from foster care to safe, loving, and permanent homes. As a result of
these victories, the child poverty rate in our country has dropped by 22
percent since 1993; millions of working parents have taken time off to care
for a new child or sick relative; child immunization rates are at an
all-time high, with 90 percent of toddlers receiving crucial vaccinations;
and adoptions increased nearly 65 percent between 1996 and 1999.
We have shown our commitment to ensuring that every child grows up in
a safe and nurturing environment through additional measures such as teen
pregnancy prevention efforts, welfare reform that moves families from
economic dependency to self-sufficiency, expanded access to affordable
housing and homeownership, and responsible fatherhood initiatives to ensure
that fathers provide both the financial and emotional support their
children need. And, to help working families provide for their children,
we are continuing our efforts to improve access to high-quality, safe, and
affordable child care. We know that from infancy through adolescence, in
child-care settings and after-school programs, children can learn and
thrive with the right care, attention, and education. We owe them no less.
As we observe National Children?s Day this year, let us recommit
ourselves to using every resource in this time of unprecedented prosperity
to build a bright future for all our children. Let us show our love for
them not only through our words, but also by making the tough decisions and
important investments necessary to give them the opportunity to achieve
their dreams.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States
of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 8, 2000, as National
Children?s Day. I urge all Americans to express their love and
appreciation for children on this day and every day throughout the year,
and to work within their communities to nurture, love, and teach all our
children. I invite Federal officials, State and local governments, and
particularly all American families to join together in observing this day
with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities to honor our Nation?s
children.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixth
day of October, 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
# # #
Message Sent
To:_____________________________________________________________
Alexander N. Gertsen/WHO/EOP@EOP
Carolyn E. Cleveland/WHO/EOP@EOP
Lauren A. Skryzowski/WHO/EOP@EOP
Wanda M. Evans/WHO/EOP@EOP
Michael J. Sullivan/WHO/EOP@EOP
William T. Glunz/WHO/EOP@EOP
Christine L. Anderson/WHO/EOP@EOP
Sean P. Maloney/WHO/EOP@EOP
Edwin R. Thomas III/WHO/EOP@EOP
G. Timothy Saunders/WHO/EOP@EOP
Sherman A. Williams/WHO/EOP@EOP
Lisel Loy/WHO/EOP@EOP
David E. Kalbaugh/WHO/EOP@EOP
Melissa G. Green/OPD/EOP@EOP
Natalie S. Wozniak/NSC/EOP@EOP
Sarah Wilson/WHO/EOP@EOP
Jane T. Schaffner/WHO/EOP@EOP
Patrick M. Dorton/OPD/EOP@EOP
Elliot J. Diringer/CEQ/EOP@EOP
Anna Richter/OPD/EOP@EOP
Devorah R. Adler/OPD/EOP@EOP
Christopher C. Jennings/OPD/EOP@EOP
Jane T. Schaffner/WHO/EOP@EOP
James E. Kennedy/WHO/EOP@EOP
Sonya N. Hebert/WHO/EOP@EOP
Thomas D. Janenda/WHO/EOP@EOP
Stephanie A. Cutter/WHO/EOP@EOP
Loretta M. Ucelli/WHO/EOP@EOP
Erika A. Batcheller/WHO/EOP@EOP
Pamela P. Carpenter/WHO/EOP@EOP
Christine L. Anderson/WHO/EOP@EOP
Cheri L. Stockham/WHO/EOP@EOP
Nanda Chitre/WHO/EOP@EOP
Jason H. Schechter/WHO/EOP@EOP
Richard L. Siewert/WHO/EOP@EOP
Megan C. Moloney/WHO/EOP@EOP
Victoria L. Valentine/WHO/EOP@EOP
Anne M. Edwards/WHO/EOP@EOP
Karen C. Burchard/WHO/EOP@EOP
Mark A. Kitchens/WHO/EOP@EOP
Jenni R. Engebretsen/WHO/EOP@EOP
Lisa Ferdinando/WHO/EOP@EOP
Stephen N. Boyd/WHO/EOP@EOP
Gilbert S. Gonzalez/WHO/EOP@EOP
James E. Kennedy/WHO/EOP@EOP
Joel Johnson/WHO/EOP@EOP
Margaret M. Suntum/WHO/EOP@EOP
Ellen E. Olcott/WHO/EOP@EOP
Mark C. Sheppard/WHO/EOP@EOP
Pamela P. Carpenter/WHO/EOP@EOP
Joshua S. Gottheimer/WHO/EOP@EOP
Patrick E. Briggs/WHO/EOP@EOP
Denver R. Peacock/WHO/EOP@EOP
Susan L. Hazard/WHO/EOP@EOP
Key C. German/WHO/EOP@EOP
Michael A. Hammer/NSC/EOP@EOP
Natalie S. Wozniak/NSC/EOP@EOP
Sharon Farmer/WHO/EOP@EOP
Ralph Alswang/WHO/EOP@EOP
Craig A. Minassian/WHO/EOP@EOP
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