National Children’s Day is annually observed in the United States on the second Sunday of June. This year, the date will be June 11. This day focuses on the significance of children in society and the numerous obstacles they continue to face in various aspects of life. This observation seeks to enhance the welfare of children, invest in their future, and resolve any mental and physical health issues they may be experiencing. The day also serves as a reminder to otherwise busy parents to spend time with their children and makes them realise the significance of these moments.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL CHILDREN’S DAY
National Children’s Day has been celebrated in the United States since the 1800s, although the date and day of celebration have varied over time. Since 1857, the dates of commemoration have been subject to change.
Reverend Dr. Charles Leonard established Children’s Day on the second Sunday of June in 1857 and named it Rose Day. Leonard was the pastor of the Universalist Church of the Redeemer in Chelsea, Massachusetts, and he organised a day to conduct a special service for and dedicated to children, which included their baptism. Later, the name was altered from Rose Day to Flower Sunday, and ultimately to Children’s Day.
In 1995, President Bill Clinton rescheduled National Children’s Day to the eighth of October. This was followed by a proclamation by President George W. Bush declaring the first Sunday of June to be National Children’s Day.
However, in 2009, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn declared that National Children’s Day would be celebrated annually on the second Sunday of June, and this has been the case ever since. The 20th of November, as designated by the United Nations, is observed by a number of other nations as Children’s Rights Day. The 20th of November is a significant date because the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child on that date in 1959. The United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the same date in 1989.
Since 1990, World Children’s Day has also observed the anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration and the Convention on the Rights of the Child by the United Nations General Assembly.
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5 UNKNOWN FACTS ABOUT CHILDREN IN THE U.S.
Infant illiteracy
In fourth grade, approximately 34% of students cannot read at a fundamental level.
There is still much to do.
Approximately 4.5 million young adults aged 16 to 24 are neither in school nor employed.
Disadvantaged beginnings
Approximately 22% of children in the United States live in poverty, and approximately 80% of them will lose reading abilities over the summer.
Epidemic obesity
Between 2017 and 2018, the prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents aged two to nineteen years was 19.3%, or approximately 14.4 million individuals.
Cyberbullying is prevalent.
Approximately 59% of adolescents in the United States have been tormented or harassed online, according to some studies.
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NATIONAL CHILDREN’S DAY DATES
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | June 12 | Sunday |
| 2023 | June 11 | Sunday |
| 2024 | June 9 | Sunday |
| 2025 | June 8 | Sunday |
| 2026 | June 14 | Sunday |
