With April designated as National Child Abuse Prevention Month, Dallas CASA President/CEO Kathleen LaValle and her staff opened their headquarters on Friday, April 4, for a gathering of friends and supporters to thank and inspire them in reducing the incidents of child abuse in Dallas. Here’s a report from the field:
Dallas CASA’s building in East Dallas was packed Friday, April 4, with friends and supporters kicking off Child Abuse Prevention Month.
The annual event, hosted by the Child Abuse Prevention Coalition, this year honored the four Dallas County children who died due to abuse or neglect in the past year, but it also served as a rallying cry for abuse prevention and a loud thank you to the caseworkers and law enforcement who seek to protect children.
Many attendees wore blue, the color of child abuse prevention, and downtown Dallas buildings turned their lights blue the evening of April 4 for the same cause. In-N-Out Burger donated burgers from their Cookout truck.
WFAA reporter Rebecca Lopez emceed the event, with guest speakers including Judge Hector Garza of the 195th District Court, Bishop Aaron Blake Sr. from Harvest Family Life Ministries and Dallas County Commission Dr. Theresa Daniel.
The most emotional moment came from Selina Leija, a student from the University of North Texas, who shared her personal story experience with the foster care system. When she told the audience that she was approaching graduation and hoped to become a social worker like many of them, the audience broke into applause as Selina beamed from ear to ear.
Members of the coalition include agencies like Dallas CASA, Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center, Family Compass, TexProtects and the United Way. The coalition invited members of the Dallas Police Department’s Crimes Against Children Unit and the Dallas District Attorney’s Crimes Against Children Division, along with representatives from the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services and EMPOWER, the private contractor that now oversees foster care services in the region.
* Photo provided by Dallas CASA