Recognizing June 2024 as Children's Awareness Month in the City of Philadelphia.

Recognizing June 2024 as Children’s Awareness Month in the City of Philadelphia. WHEREAS, Children’s Awareness Month was initially established to honor the memory of all the children who have died violent deaths in America. However, Children’s Awareness Month has evolved into something even greater; and WHEREAS, Children's Awareness Month has evolved into a month that not only commemorates the lives of the youth, but also serves as an opportunity to foster and cultivate the pleasures and treasures of childhood; and WHEREAS, Amidst concerns such as poverty, homelessness, and substance use, the children facing these challenges daily are often overlooked. According to the 2023 State of the Child, Philadelphia has 325,435 children under the age of 18, representing 20% of Philadelphia’s total population; and WHEREAS, Growing Up Philly, a publication by the Department of Public Health, estimated that Philadelphia's child mortality rate in 2017 stood at 71.6 deaths per 100,000 children, the highest among large Cities and Counties in the United States and nearly 45% higher than the national child mortality rate of 49.5 deaths per 100,000 children; and WHEREAS, Every child deserves to be valued and cherished, prompting us as advocates, City officials, parents, and allies, to stand together not only this month but every month to ensure the health and well-being of all children; and WHEREAS, Prioritizing the health and well-being of children within our community fosters a future charact…