Whereas, The Child Welfare League of America has promoted the Children’s Memorial Flag as a way of memorializing the thousands of children and teenagers in the United States who die violently each year; and,

Whereas, The Children’s Memorial Flag has become a recognizable symbol of the need to do a better job of protecting our children; and,

Whereas, The response of the public has been overwhelmingly positive as the program progresses each year; and,

Whereas, Approximately three million children are reported abused and neglected in this country each year; and,

Whereas, The effects of child abuse are felt by whole communities and in turn need to be addressed by entire communities; and,

Whereas, Effective child abuse prevention programs succeed because of partnerships created among social service agencies, schools, religious and civic organizations, law enforcement agencies, and the business community; and,

Whereas, All citizens should become more aware of the negative effects of child abuse and promote its prevention within their communities and become involved in supporting parents to raise their children in a safe, nurturing environment; and now therefore be it,

Resolved, That I, Jennifer M. Granholm, Governor of the State of Michigan, do hereby proclaim April 23, 2004 as Children’s Memorial Flag Day in Michigan and I encourage all citizens to honor the thousands of children across the country who die violently each year.