National School Lunch Week, 2000

Proclamation 7355 of October 6, 2000

National School Lunch Week, 2000

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

One of the best ways we can move forward as a society
is to meet our obligations to our children. President
Harry Truman recognized this profound responsibility
when he signed the National School Lunch Act into law
in 1946. The significance of this legislation went
beyond the daily meal that children would receive; the
National School Lunch Program firmly established the
Federal Government's commitment to work in partnership
with States, schools, and the agricultural community to
administer a major program designed to improve
children's diets and, in turn, their overall health and
well-being.

Today, more than 96,000 schools serve lunches to over
27 million children every day--more than half of them
for free or at a reduced price, so that no schoolchild
in America, regardless of family income, need go hungry
at lunchtime. We have also built on the program's
success by establishing a number of child nutrition
initiatives administered by the Department of
Agriculture--from the School Breakfast Program, which
helps ensure eligible children are ready to learn; to
the Summer Food Service Program, which serves healthy
meals and snacks to low-income children during long
school vacations; to the Child and Adult Care Food
Program, which provides nutritious meals and snacks to
infants and young children in day care and to adults
with physical or mental disabilities who are enrolled
in adult day care. Most recently, we authorized funding
through the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act of 1998
to make snacks available to children and teenagers
enrolled in after-school programs.

We can be proud that these school meal programs promote
the well-being of some of our Nation's most vulnerable
children by providing them with the nourishment they
need to develop healthy bodies and sound minds.
Nutritious meals help students reach their full
potential by keeping them alert and attentive in the
classroom. As both common sense and extensive
scientific research confirm, a hungry child cannot
focus on schoolwork as well as one who has been fed a
nutritious meal.

The National School Lunch Program also offers us a
valuable tool for identifying children who are eligible
for health insurance under Medicaid or the State
Children's Health Insurance Program. Since 60 percent
of children who lack adequate health coverage
participate in the school lunch program, sharing
eligibility information can improve our outreach
efforts and bring us closer to our goal of universal
health care for all of America's children. My proposed
budget for fiscal 2001 sets aside $345 million over 10
years to help schools share information with Medicaid
and the State Children's Health Insurance Program so
that we can enhance our efforts to reach eligible
children and their families. In addition, this summer I
announced an initiative to expand the school lunch
program to the developing world. This initiative will
make school lunches and breakfasts available in the
poorest countries for the poorest children, helping
students whose deficiencies in nutrition affect their
cognitive development and attracting children who
otherwise might never attend school.

As we observe National School Lunch Week this year, let
us pay tribute to the thousands of State and local
school food service professionals across America whose
hard work and dedication make these programs a reality
for our children; and let us acknowledge the important
role school lunches play in the healthy development of
so many students.

In recognition of the contributions of the National
School Lunch Program to the health, education, and
well-being of our Nation's children, the Congress, by
joint resolution of October 9, 1962 (Public Law 87-
780), has designated the week beginning the second
Sunday in October of each year as ``National School
Lunch Week'' and has requested the President to issue a
proclamation in observance of this week.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the
United States of America, do hereby proclaim October 8
through October 14, 2000, as National School Lunch
Week. I call upon all Americans to recognize those
individuals whose efforts contribute so much to the
success of our national child nutrition programs,
whether at the Federal, State, or local level.

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.