Jamye Coffman, MD, Medical Director of the C.A.R.E. (Child Advocacy Resource and Evaluation) program at Cook Children’s Hospital will provide a call to action to all students, staff, faculty and the community on what we can do to prevent child abuse at an event honoring National Child Prevention Abuse Month, noon, April 10, on the MET Lawn.
Coffman will speak and answer questions next to a special garden of 500 pinwheels – each pinwheel representing about 75 cases of reported child abuse in Tarrant County – totaling more than 3,700 cases last year. Many more go unreported. Pinwheels are the national symbol for child abuse prevention,
She is board certified in both general and child-abuse pediatrics and serves on the Tarrant County Child Fatality Review Team, Tarrant County Drug Endangered Children and on the child abuse committee for the Texas Pediatric Society.
Attendees will learn about the signs of child abuse and how to report it. Free "pinwheel" cookies will be served.
In Texas, more than half of those reporting child abuse cases are school professionals, medical physicians or members of law enforcement. Learn how you can get involved.
The event is sponsored by UNTHSC’s Healthy Start Program. Healthy Start is a home-based, case management program that works to improve the health and well-being of women, mothers, fathers and infants so that every child in our community has the opportunity to grow and thrive.
Anyone with questions may contact Misty Wilder, Program Manager, 817-735-2478.