Child Health Day, 1997

Proclamation 7033 of October 6, 1997

Child Health Day, 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.

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 guide-

lines 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.