Family Day, 2003

Proclamation 7697 of August 28, 2003

Family Day, 2003

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Children thrive in loving families where they are
taught, nurtured, and comforted. By spending time with
our children and stressing the importance of making the
right choices, parents and other family members help
them develop into confident, successful individuals.

Families can help secure a healthy tomorrow for their
children by providing guidance, staying involved, and
serving as role models. I am committed to supporting
strong families and strong marriages to help ensure
that every child grows up in a safe, loving family.
Statistics show that children from two-parent families
are less likely to end up in poverty, drop out of
school, become addicted to drugs, have a child out of
wedlock, suffer abuse, or become a violent criminal.
Because stable families should be the central goal of
American welfare policy, I have proposed spending up to
$300 million a year to find the most effective programs
to strengthen marriage.

Parents play a critical role in discouraging harmful
behavior such as experimenting with alcohol, drugs, and
tobacco. Research shows that teens often listen to
their parents when it comes to decisions about harmful
substances and risky behaviors. Regular family
activities provide opportunities for parents to
communicate important messages and enhance their
relationships with their children. Recent studies from
the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at
Columbia University found that teens from families who
eat dinner together were less likely to use illegal
drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes, while teenagers who
rarely eat dinner with their parents were more likely
to engage in these unhealthy activities.

Families and all Americans can act together to educate
our youth about the dangers of drugs and alcohol and
help them grow into healthy, responsible, compassionate
citizens. In order to ensure a brighter future for our
Nation, and safe, healthy, and happy lives for our
children, our children must learn that avoiding harmful
substances is an ongoing responsibility. As we work to
educate our next generation about making healthy
choices, we renew our commitment to the American
family.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, 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 September 22, 2003, as
Family Day. I call upon the people of the United States
to observe this day by engaging in activities to
strengthen the relationships between parents and
children and help fight against substance abuse and
risky behaviors.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twenty-eighth day of August, in the year of our Lord
two thousand three, and of the

Independence of the United States of America the two
hundred and twenty-eighth.

(Presidential Sig.)B