National Children's Day, 1999

Proclamation 7238 of October 8, 1999

National Children's Day, 1999

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

The children of America are our most precious gift and
our greatest responsibility. Their well-being is one of
the greatest measures of our success as a society, and
our ability to provide them with a loving, safe, and
supportive environment will help determine the
character of our Nation.

We can be proud of the progress we have made in
creating such environments. To strengthen families and
homes, we have provided tax relief to working families,
raised the minimum wage, and enacted the Family and
Medical Leave Act so that parents can take time off to
be with a sick child or new baby without putting their
jobs at risk. To give more children a healthy start in
life, we have extended health care coverage to millions
of previously uninsured children. To help America's
youth reach their full potential, my Administration has
urged the Congress to pass legislation to provide our
students with a first-rate education by ensuring that
they are educated by well-prepared teachers, in smaller
classes, in modern and safe buildings, and with the
latest in information technology.

On National Children's Day, however, we must also
reflect soberly on how far we still have to go to make
our communities safe and nurturing places for our
children. One of our greatest challenges is to provide
health coverage for the almost 11 million American
children who are still uninsured. Many of these
children are eligible for Medicaid or qualify for
coverage under the Children's Health Insurance Programs
that are now operating in every State across our
Nation. Educators, policymakers, health care
professionals, and business, community, and media
leaders have a vital role to play in raising parents'
awareness of their children's eligibility for this
important coverage and making sure that these children
are enrolled.

America must also confront the recent senseless acts of
violence that have taken the lives and the innocence of
so many young people. Places where they once felt
safe--schools and churches and day care facilities--
have been shaken by violence. Addressing this assault
on our society's values and our children's future is a
top priority of my Administration. We must work
together--parents, students, educators, public
officials, and religious, community, and industry
leaders--to instill in our youth a sense of compassion,
tolerance, and self-respect, so that they may find
their way in a troubled world. We must also help them
develop the strength to express their own anger and
alienation with words, not weapons.

One of the most powerful tools we have in this endeavor
is youth mentoring. A recent Department of Justice
study showed that mentoring programs help young people
resist violence and substance abuse, perform better
academically, and interact more positively with their
families and with other youth. Recognizing the value of
mentoring programs, particularly to the well-being of
millions of at-risk youth, my Administration announced
earlier this year several public and private
initiatives to encourage mentoring, and we set aside
$14 million in grants for the Justice Department's
Juvenile Mentoring Program.

Children bring so much hope, joy, and love to our
lives; in return, we owe them our time, our attention,
the power of our example, and the comfort of our
concern. It is a fair trade, and one that enriches the
lives of us all.

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 herebyproclaim October 10, 1999, as National
Children's Day. I urge all Americans to express their
love and appreciation for the children of our Nation on
this day and on every day throughout the year. I invite
Federal officials, local governments, communities, and
all American families to join in observing this day
with appropriate ceremonies and activities. I also urge
all Americans to reflect upon the importance of
children to our families, the importance of strong
families to our children, and the importance of both to
America.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
eighth day of October, in the year of our Lord nineteen
hundred and ninety-nine, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and twenty-
fourth.