Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 93.djvu/1588

 93 STAT. 1556

PROCLAMATION 4704—NOV. 26, 1979

Families are the most universal and enduring element in human existence. A family is a reservoir of shared experiences, shared joys and sorrows and, most of all, shared love that spans generations and distances. As we come together at this Thanksgiving season, we gather with our families to express our gratitude. Our family circles expand to welcome and include others in the warmth of the holiday season. It is a time for all of us to cherish those we love and to celebrate family life. ,.

Ante. p. 856.

We must continue this attention to famiHes all year round, however. Through the coming White House Conference on Families, our new Office on Families, and through new approaches that would encourage more adoptive and foster parents, governments and citizens together can learn to become better family advocates of the American family. We must nurture the family as it has nurtured us. NOW, THEREFORE, I. JIMMY CARTER, President of the United States of America, in accordance with a joint resolution of Congress, do hereby proclaim the week of November 18, 1979, as National Family Week and call upon all the American people to observe this week with appropriate activities in their homes and communities. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred seventy-nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fourth. ..fi-

JIMMY CARTER

Proclamation 4704 of November 26, 1979

National Child Abuse Prevention Month, 1979 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation America's children are our most precious resource, and in this final month of the International Year of the Child I urge all Americans to consider what they can do to prevent child abuse and neglect. The needs of children are best met in families where provisions can be made for the special needs and limitations of all family members. Even loving parents sometimes fail to provide adequate supervision, or find themselves in situations where needs are not met or emotions are difficult to control. I urge communities and helping organizations to work with families to alleviate conditions that result in the abuse and neglect of children. I especially urge all those who feel unable to cope with problems to seek out help. Our Nation's children are our Nation's future. We all share in the responsibility for making sure they grow up in a healthful environment. I appeal to public agencies, private organizations and the business community to support needed social, educational and health services in their communities to strengthen families during the critical child-rearing years. Working together, with sensitivity and concern, we can reduce the incidence and lifelong damage of child abuse.

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