Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 106 Part 6.djvu/865

 PROCLAMATION 6490—OCT. 9, 1992 106 STAT. 5423 and local levels of government. Toward that end, the United States Department of Energy will be working this month to increase public awareness of America's energy needs, as well as the energy options that are available to us. NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE 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 October 1992 as Energy Awareness Month. I urge all Americans to observe this month with appropriate educational programs and activities. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this ninth day of October, in the year tf our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-two, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and seventeenth. GEORGE BUSH Proclamation 6490 of October 9, 1992 National Children's Day, 1992 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Every child is a tremendous blessing in his or her own right, a person of unlimited worth and unique potential. Together, however, America's children constitute our most precious national resource. Their future and the future of the United States depend on our efforts to ensure that every child receives the material, emotional, and spiritual support that he or she needs to become a healthy, well-adjusted, and responsible adult. On National Children's Day, as we honor America's youngest citizens, we renew our commitment to providing the best possible care and protection for each of them. Clearly, the most important contribution that we can make to the wellbeing of America's children is to preserve and strengthen the family. Problems such as drug and alcohol abuse, violence, crime, and adolescent promiscuity—all can be traced, in large part, to a breakdown in traditional family life and values. Statistics on poverty likewise bear tragic evidence of the impact of broken homes on children: today the poverty rate among families headed by married couples is 5.7 percent; among families where fathers are absent, the poverty rate is 33.4 percent—more than five times higher. Such facts underscore the urgency of restoring traditional values in the United States and the stable, loving family life that they help foster. While government must not and cannot fulfill the primary responsibility of parents in caring for their children, it can assist them in their vital task. During the past year, we have strengthened Federal child support enforcement efforts, achieving more than $6 billion in additional collections of support owed. With the help of Federal waivers, a number of States have launched reforms of welfare programs that are designed to promote parental responsibility and to help keep families intact. There exist numerous programs at the Federal, State, and local levels to assist dysfunctional families and families that are struggling through periods of unemployment, illness, and other challenges. Yet,

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