For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
May 31, 2003
National Child's Day, 2003
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
On National Child's Day, we celebrate the future of our Nation and the
promise of America's youth. As a Nation, as parents, and as community
members, we have a responsibility to build a secure and nurturing
society so that our children have the opportunity to grow, learn, work,
and succeed.
Creating an environment that instills important values, builds
strong character, and provides sound education for our children is a
vital national priority. With a firm foundation, children will be
better able to face the challenges of the future.
Parents are a child's first teachers, and they can be the most
effective instructors. One of the most helpful activities parents can
do with their children is read with them. Children who develop a love
for reading expand their imaginations and cultivate a thirst for
learning that lasts a lifetime. By talking, listening, and reading to
our children, we can help them build the confidence they need to
succeed in life. Parents' role as educators becomes even more
important as schools across the country prepare for summer recess.
Summertime is not only a time for children to relax and play, it is
also a time for parents to strengthen their ties to their children by
spending time with them and helping them to broaden their experiences.
To expand on the important work that parents do, my Administration
has taken significant steps to help give our children greater
opportunities to learn. By improving our education system and
encouraging early reading and language skills, we give our children the
tools they will need to succeed in the world they will inherit from
us. Children also benefit from the immeasurable care and support of
their teachers, and are inspired by the model they set.
Outside the home and the classroom, there are many adults who touch
children's lives. Family, mentors, neighbors, and friends can help
mold America's next generation through their positive examples, showing
children how to help those in need and encouraging them to set high
standards for themselves. To help instill the value of volunteer
service, the USA Freedom Corps, through the Students in Service to
America initiative, is helping to create ways for young people to give
back to their communities. By using their time, talents, and
compassion to make a difference in the lives of others, America's
children are learning to become responsible and engaged leaders in our
democratic society.
On this special day, we celebrate the possibility of every boy and
girl in America. In their faces, we see the hope of our Nation.
America is dedicated to their welfare and the full development of their
potential.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, 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 June 1, 2003, as
National Child's Day. I urge parents to spend more time with their
children, read to them, listen to their concerns, offer guidance and
love, and encourage their dreams. I also urge all Americans to set a
positive example for our children and to assist parents in setting them
on the path to success. And I call upon citizens to observe this day
with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth
day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand three, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
twenty-seventh.
GEORGE W. BUSH
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