Safe. That is a word that, sadly, isn't part of the reality of the lives of abused and neglected children.
According to the Children's Defense Fund, a child in Arkansas is abused every 47 minutes ... and nearly 11,000 are abused and neglected in the state each year.
The new David M. Clark Center for Safe and Healthy Children -- billed as "a single safe place for children and their families" -- aims to cut into those statistics.
The center, home to several entities and a comprehensive slate of programs at Arkansas Children's Hospital, was gussied up with a combination of balloons and floral decor for an Aug. 11 dedication ceremony that took place on the building's unfinished third floor. Libations and heavy appetizers awaited a bevy of distinguished guests that included first lady Susan Hutchinson and Betty and former Gov. Jim Guy Tucker. Attendees were given the chance to tour the facility before and after the evening's approximately half-hour program.
"We are sitting in this building, designed to be filled with light, to shed light on a very dark subject," Fred Scarborough, foundation president at Children's Hospital, said during the program. He praised the crowd as being "defenders" -- "those who will step forward for voiceless children."
Special recognition was given via video to the Clark Family Foundation, a legacy of the late David M. Clark, which provided a $2.5 million gift to name the center. Remarks also came from Children's Hospital's chief executive officer Marcy Doderer, who gave kudos to the foundation, additional donors, investors, the hospital auxiliary and other supporters and leaders.
The 36,483-square-foot building, paid for through philanthropic efforts, is the home of the Children's Protection Center, the Rebecca and Robert Rice Medical Clinic, the Family Treatment Center and the Child Study Center.
High Profile on 08/21/2016