Lights on After School Day

WHEREAS, our Commonwealth of Virginia is firmly committed to investing in the health and safety of all young people by providing expanded learning opportunities to help prepare young people to compete in the global economy; and

WHEREAS, more than 28 million children in the United States have parents who work outside the home, and 15.1 million children have no place to go after school; and

WHEREAS, one way working families can help ensure their children are safe and productive after the regular school day ends is through child participation in afterschool programs; and

WHEREAS, quality afterschool programs and opportunities provide challenging and engaging learning experiences that help children develop social, emotional, physical and academic skills; and

WHEREAS, communities in our Commonwealth are made stronger by afterschool programs which involve students, parents, business leaders and adult volunteers in the lives of young people, as well as programs which promote positive relationships by engaging families, schools and community partners in enhancing the welfare of our children; and

WHEREAS, afterschool programs are an important tool in helping our children become successful adults, and our Commonwealth is committed to providing leadership with respect to community involvement in the education and well-being of our youth;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Robert F. McDonnell, do hereby recognize October 18, 2012 as LIGHTS ON AFTER SCHOOL DAY in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens