National Family Caregivers Month, 2014

Proclamation 9206 of October 31, 2014

National Family Caregivers Month, 2014

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Each day, courageous individuals step forward to help
care for family members in need, their quiet acts of
selflessness and sacrifice telling a story of love and
devotion. Across our country, parents and children,
siblings and spouses, friends and neighbors heroically
give of themselves to support those in their lives
affected by illness, injury, or disability. During
National Family Caregivers Month, we salute the people
who play difficult and exhausting roles, and we
recommit to lifting up these Americans as they care for
their loved ones while protecting their dignity and
individuality.

In the United States, more than 60 million caregivers
provide invaluable strength and assistance to their
family members, and as the number of older Americans
rises, so will the number of caregivers. Many of these
dedicated people work full time and raise children of
their own while also caring for the needs of their
loved ones. Caregivers support the independence of
their family members and enable them to more fully
participate in their communities, and as a Nation, we
have an obligation to empower these selfless
individuals.

My Administration continues to work to improve many of
the resources on which caregivers depend. The
Affordable Care Act invested in programs that expand
home and community-based services. To lift up a new
generation of service members--our 9/11 Generation--we
are fighting to ensure those who care for them have
access to the support they need, including financial
assistance, comprehensive caregiver training, mental
health services and counseling, and respite care. Many
caregivers rely on workplace flexibility and reasonable
accommodations, and this year my Administration held
the first-ever White House Summit on Working Families
to develop a comprehensive agenda that ensures hard-
working Americans do not have to choose between being
productive employees and responsible family members.
And next year, we will host the White House Conference
on Aging, which will focus on the needs of older
Americans and those who care for them.

Not only this month, but every month, let us work
alongside our Nation's caregivers and make certain they
are able to provide the best possible care for their
loved ones for as long as necessary. Together, we
recognize those who place service above self, including
the women and men looking after our veterans. By
offering them the same comfort, social engagement, and
stability they bring to others, may we remind them that
they are not alone.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the
United States, do hereby proclaim November 2014 as
National Family Caregivers Month. I encourage all
Americans to pay tribute to those who provide for the
health and well-being of their family members, friends,
and neighbors.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord
two thousand fourteen, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
ninth.