Throughout America, mother and father are united by a standard dream that their kids’s lives will likely be more healthy, happier, and extra promising than their very own. On Little one Well being Day, we rededicate ourselves to creating that dream a actuality and recommit to offering each baby with the standard well being care, baby care, and schooling they should thrive.
Supporting our youngsters means — initially — holding them secure. The devastating fact is that weapons are presently the primary explanation for loss of life for youngsters in the USA. That’s not acceptable, and it’s why I signed the primary main bipartisan regulation in practically 30 years to maintain firearms out of the fingers of people who find themselves a hazard to themselves and to others, defending harmless kids from rampant gun violence — particularly in colleges. That is simply the starting; I’ll proceed to push for an assault weapon ban that can restrict entry to those harmful weapons on American streets and in our communities. No baby ought to must reside in worry.
On the similar time, no mum or dad ought to must lie awake at night time questioning how they’ll pay for the remedy or hospital care their baby wants. Because of the American Rescue Plan and different key initiatives of my Administration, a million kids have gained well being protection since I got here into workplace. My Inflation Discount Act will even decrease medical insurance premiums for 13 million Individuals. To present hardworking mother and father extra respiratory room throughout the pandemic, I expanded the kid tax credit score — a measure estimated to have helped reduce baby poverty by over 40 p.c final 12 months. This cash was a life-changer for households who too usually should select between a paycheck and taking good care of themselves and their family members. Moreover, in September, I convened the primary White Home Convention on Starvation, Vitamin, and Well being in over 50 years, at which we launched a nationwide technique to create a pathway to free, wholesome college meals for all kids — starting by increasing free college meals to 9 million extra youngsters by 2032.
My Administration’s efforts to deal with the nationwide psychological well being disaster, particularly amongst our Nation’s youth, construct on these necessary measures. At the moment, suicide is the second main explanation for loss of life amongst younger folks between the ages of 10 and 24, and over the previous a number of years, psychological well being emergencies have elevated amongst youth of all ages. In response, my Administration is making it simpler for youngsters throughout America to entry psychological well being specialists by means of their pediatricians’ places of work. We’re serving to to deal with the harms of social media use on youth psychological well being and investing billions of {dollars} to increase entry to psychological well being providers and professionals in colleges. We’re additionally educating States on methods to leverage all Federal assets, together with Medicaid, to enhance the supply of well being care in colleges. Already, we’re making progress. As of July, the variety of college social employees has risen 54 p.c relative to the years earlier than the pandemic. In the identical interval, the variety of counselors is up 22 p.c, and the variety of college nurses has additionally elevated by 22 p.c.
To guard our youngsters from the COVID-19 pandemic, my Administration rolled out vaccines for youngsters 6 months and older, serving to to make sure that youngsters and infants will be safer in all public areas, together with school rooms and daycares. We’re delivering inexpensive high-speed web to each American so college students not have to take a seat in quick meals parking heaps simply to use the Wi-Fi to do their homework. I secured funding to assist exchange each single lead pipe within the Nation so nobody has to second-guess the standard of the water their baby is consuming. The Inflation Discount Act will even exchange 1000’s of diesel college buses with electrical buses, saving our youngsters from inhaling harmful fumes.
I do know there may be a lot extra work to do to construct a future worthy of the hopes and goals of our youngsters. We should safe free, high-quality preschool for each American baby and decrease well being care prices much more for American households. I proceed calling for tax breaks for middle-class mother and father and for brand new legal guidelines that hold our youngsters secure from violence at college and at house. I’ll do all the pieces in my energy to deal with the local weather disaster and cross down a more healthy planet to future generations. To win the competitors for the longer term, we should proceed constructing a more healthy and safer Nation for our youngsters. Our households and our nation rely upon it.
The Congress, by a joint decision permitted Could 18, 1928, as amended (36 U.S.C. 105), has known as for the designation of the primary Monday in October as Little one Well being Day and has requested that the President difficulty a proclamation in observance of at the present time.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the USA of America, by advantage of the authority vested in me by the Structure and the legal guidelines of the USA, do hereby proclaim Monday, October 3, 2022, as Little one Well being Day. I name upon households, baby well being professionals, faith-based and group organizations, and governments to assist be certain that America’s kids keep secure and wholesome.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I’ve hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of September, within the 12 months of our Lord two thousand twenty-two, and of the Independence of the United States of America the 2 hundred and forty-seventh.
JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.
