Proclamation 4107—National Action for Foster Children Week

A child without love lives in a cruel and often terrifying world. Yet in our midst each year are more than a quarter of a million children—of all ages, all ethnic groups, some with health handicaps, many bearing the emotional scars of life's experiences—who no longer live with their natural parents. They need love, and their best hope often rests with foster parents.

Time and again, experience has shown that these children grow and develop better when they have the individualized love and nurture of a generous foster father and mother. If deprived of close parental relationship, children—especially young children—are often damaged for life in their emotional and intellectual growth. Today many more foster parents are needed for the children in our society who, for whatever the reason, cannot remain in their own homes.

Now, Therefore, I, Richard Nixon, President of the United States of America, do hereby designate the week of April 9 through April 15, 1972, as National Action for Foster Children Week.

I urge national, State and local government officials, voluntary agencies and private groups during that week to give special attention to the needs of foster children, to plan concerted action between agencies and citizens for improving and expanding services for foster children, to assist in the rehabilitation of their families, and to help recruit more foster parents.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this eleventh day of February, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred seventy-two, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred ninety-sixth.

RICHARD NIXON