Afterschool Week, 2000

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Title 3--
The President

Proclamation 7353 of October 6, 2000

Afterschool Week, 2000

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Each weekday afternoon in America, the ringing of
school bells signals not just the end of the school
day, but also the beginning of a period when 8 to 15
million of our children are home alone. These so-called
``latchkey'' children can be found in every American
community, whether urban, suburban, or rural; they are
the children of working parents who, for a variety of
reasons, are unable to arrange or afford a better
alternative. Not surprisingly, most juvenile crimes are
committed and most children are likely to become
victims of crime during the 5 or 6 hours immediately
after the school day ends.

Providing appropriate supervision for children after
school is one of the more difficult challenges that
working parents face. Recognizing this, my
Administration has worked hard to provide parents with
alternative afternoon activities for their children.
Through our 21st Century Community Learning Centers
program, under the leadership of Education Secretary
Richard Riley, we are providing schools and community
organizations with funding to create and expand
learning opportunities for children in a drug-free,
supervised environment. This program enables schools to
stay open longer so that students have places to do
their homework, receive counseling about the dangers of
substance abuse, and participate with mentors in a wide
array of academic and recreational activities that
challenge their imagination and broaden their horizons.

In the 4 years since we created the 21st Century
Community Learning Centers program, hundreds of
thousands of children across our country have enrolled
in safe and smart afterschool programs. My proposed
budget for fiscal 2001 will more than double the
Federal commitment to this program, enabling us to
reach as many as 2.5 million students next year. These
community learning centers provide America's parents
with the comforting assurance that, while they are out
earning a living, their children are participating in
engaging and constructive afterschool activities.

To highlight the growing need for afterschool programs,
the Afterschool Alliance--a partnership of public,
private, and nonprofit organizations dedicated to
raising awareness and expanding resources for
afterschool programs--has announced a nationwide
project called ``Lights On Afterschool!'' On October 12
of this year, schools, community centers, museums,
libraries, and parks across the country will host
activities to inform families about the places
currently open to children after school and the need to
provide additional centers where children can
participate in engaging, stimulating activities until
their parents return from work.

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 the week of October 8 to
October 14, 2000, as Afterschool Week. I encourage
parents, students, educators, community and business
leaders, and concerned citizens to participate in
``Lights On Afterschool!'' activities on Thursday,
October 12. I also urge all Americans to recognize the
importance of providing afterschool

programs in their communities to promote the safety and
well-being of 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.