Nothing is extra very important to our nation’s future than our youngsters’s well being and well-being. Every year on Youngster Well being Day, we reaffirm our dedication to making sure that each baby in America has equal entry to high quality and reasonably priced well being care, baby care, and training in order that they’ll thrive and attain their full potential.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound unfavourable affect on the well being and well-being of our Nation’s kids. A 12 months of isolation from associates, prolonged household, and each day actions as a consequence of college closures and distant studying, in addition to the lack of family members to the pandemic, has taken an incredible toll on their psychological well being — and prompted vital studying loss which will by no means be absolutely redressed. Households are additionally discovering it tougher to assist their kids in the course of the pandemic, with many struggling to pay for bills akin to meals, hire, well being care, and transportation. And as scientists rigorously and independently evaluation COVID-19 vaccines for kids underneath age 12, too lots of our youngsters returning to high school — and the households they return to on the finish of every college day — face pointless dangers as a result of there aren’t common masking insurance policies.
We owe it to our youngsters to do all the things in our energy to assist their protected and wholesome improvement. As a result of our Nation’s faculties play a vital position in safeguarding our youngsters’s well being and well-being, my Administration has made it a high precedence to make sure that all college students can entry full-time, in-person instruction in order that they’ll obtain their highest aspirations. My American Rescue Plan continues to ship for faculties — together with $130 billion to make sure that each baby can safely entry full-time, in-person instruction and that faculties can mitigate the chance of COVID-19 within the classroom. My Administration is dedicated to supporting school-based well being applications, which is why my American Rescue Plan additionally gives States and college districts with billions of {dollars} for faculties to carry on further nurses, counselors, social employees, and extra to handle pupil wants, permitting academics to remain centered on instructing. To additional assist kids’s success at school, I strongly encourage households to go to their pediatric suppliers for well-child visits and immunizations — together with the COVID‑19 vaccine for kids age 12 and up.
My American Rescue Plan can also be delivering vital sources to handle the psychological well being wants of kids, together with $1.5 billion to assist the Group Psychological Well being Providers Block Grant, which gives a lot wanted providers to kids with severe emotional disturbances. The legislation additionally gives $20 million to assist youth suicide prevention and $30 million to broaden Venture AWARE, which helps wellness and resiliency applications in academic settings. It has invested $80 million to broaden the Pediatric Psychological Well being Care Entry Program, which gives telehealth providers for kids and adolescents with psychological well being situations recognized throughout routine visits, making psychological well being care extra accessible nationwide, together with for younger folks in Tribal and distant areas.
Moreover, the American Rescue Plan continues to ship pandemic reduction to households by way of a $150 million funding within the Maternal, Toddler, and Early Childhood Dwelling Visiting Program to enhance maternal and baby well being. The legislation additionally gives funding to assist households with important emergency provides, together with diapers, meals, water, and hand sanitizer. Lastly, the American Rescue Plan is decreasing medical health insurance premiums for thousands and thousands of People — positioning us to chop baby poverty in America by almost half.
We have to put money into the wholesome improvement of all our youngsters — and which means serving to dad and mom with the prices of elevating a household. That’s the reason my Administration labored arduous to broaden the Youngster Tax Credit score, which is placing cash straight within the pockets of households with kids every month to assist pay for meals, hire, a brand new pair of youngsters’ sneakers, or no matter else working dad and mom want.
On Youngster Heath Day, we recommit ourselves to making sure that our youngsters can dwell lengthy and wholesome lives. Collectively, we will help all of our Nation’s kids keep wholesome and study, develop, and develop as much as attain their full potential.
The Congress, by a joint decision accepted Might 18, 1928, as amended (36 U.S.C. 105), has known as for the designation of the primary Monday in October as Youngster Well being Day and has requested that the President situation a proclamation in observance of at the present time.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by the advantage of the authority vested in me by the Structure and the legal guidelines of the US, do hereby proclaim Monday, October 4, 2021, as Youngster Well being Day. I name upon households, baby well being professionals, faith-based and neighborhood organizations, and governments to assist make sure that America’s kids keep protected and wholesome.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I’ve hereunto set my hand this primary day of October, within the 12 months of our Lord two thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the 2 hundred and forty-sixth.
JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.
