At the event this week, there will be a moment of silence to memorialize the 14 children in Dallas County who died of neglect or abuse last year. Photo credit: Rosanne Lewis.
Dallas CASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocates) and the Dallas County Child Abuse Prevention Coalition are hosting an event on Wednesday to recognize abuse prevention efforts and child welfare leaders.
Dallas CASA deploys trained and supervised volunteers to advocate for children who are victims of abuse or neglect and are in protective care. The nonprofit is part of the Child Abuse Prevention Coalition, which also includes Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center, the Dallas County Child Welfare Board, Family Compass, TexProtects and the United Way of Dallas’ HOPES Program.
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. In fiscal year 2025, there were 51,985 confirmed child victims of abuse or neglect in Texas, 4,617 of whom were from Dallas County, according to a Dallas CASA press release. Last year, 835 children in Dallas County had to be removed from their homes for safety reasons, and 157 were waiting for adoption. At the event this week, there will be a moment of silence to memorialize the 14 children in Dallas County who died of neglect or abuse last year.
This public program attended by child welfare professionals, law enforcement and community advocates will take place at 11:30 a.m. April 22 in Dallas CASA’s parking lot at 2757 Swiss Ave. Speeches by the following people are on the agenda:
- Steve “Scoop” Jefferson from WFAA
- Dallas County Commissioner Theresa Daniel
- Dallas County Criminal Court 3 Judge Audrey Moorehead
- Gregory Williams from Baylor College of Medicine
- Journey Ishmon, a student with lived experience in foster care and PUSH (Push Until Success Happens) coach at the University of North Texas
Lunch will be donated by In-N-Out Burger.
