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 Proclamations Proc. 7371 thorization for our new National Family Caregiver Support Program, which will provide quality respite care and other support services to hundreds of thousands of families who are struggling to care for loved ones. The Long-Term Care Security Act that I signed into law in September au- thorizes the Office of Personnel Management to negotiate with private in- surers to offer more affordable, high-quality, long-term care insurance poli- cies to Federal employees, retirees, and their families. This initiative will help some 13 million Americans better prepare for the future and ease the fear of having to deplete their life savings to care for a loved one. We must also help families who need long-term care assistance right now. I continue to call on the Congress to provide a $3,000 tax credit for the millions of Americans with long-term care needs and the families who care for them. Passage of a new, voluntary Medicare prescription drug benefit would also go a long way toward easing the financial burden on family caregivers. Caregiving touches us all, either within our own families or within our communities. As we observe National Family Caregivers Month, let us thank the millions of devoted men and women across our Nation who en- able our loved ones who are frail, chronically ill, or living with disabilities to live in dignity in the warmth and familiarity of home. NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM }. CLINTON, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitu- tion and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2000 as National Family Caregivers Month. I call upon all Americans to acknowl- edge and honor the contributions of caregivers to the quality of our na- tional life. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifth day of No- vember, in the year of our Lord two thousand, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-fifth. WILLIAM J. CLINTON Proclamation 7371 of November 7, 2000 National Adoption Month, 2000 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Families are the cornerstone of our Nation. Yet, today, tens of thousands of America's children are living within our child welfare system, without the sustained love and care of permanent families. For many of these chil- dren, often shuttled from one living situation to another, adoption opens the door to loving parents and permanent homes, where they can put down roots and learn what it means to be part of a safe, stable family. Adoption gives children who have been orphaned, abandoned, or abused a precious second chance at happiness; a chance to love and be loved and to reach their full potential in a secure, supportive environment. 191

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