When the David M. Clark Center for Safe & Healthy Children opens on the campus of Arkansas Children's Hospital, it will be the state's first comprehensive program to address child abuse and maltreatment. It will be a single, safe place for children who have been abused and mistreated to receive all the services they need – medical, advocacy, and mental health care among them. The center is part of Arkansas Children’s plan to transform the health of children in Arkansas by expanding access to pediatric services across the state.
A dedication ceremony was held last Friday for the center, which is a 36,438-square-foot facility on the Arkansas Children’s Hospital campus that will house the Rebecca and Robert Rice Medical Clinic, Children’s Protection Center, Family Treatment Program, and the Child Study Center.
The center has been entirely funded by philanthropy, demonstrating tremendous community support for a single, safe place for children who have been abused and neglected. Donors have provided more than $14 million to fund the center, which is designated in honor of the late David M. Clark through a gift provided by the Clark Family Foundation.
According to the Arkansas Department of Human Services, there were 9,543 confirmed cases of child abuse or neglect, while 33,683 reports of child maltreatment were received by the Arkansas Child Abuse Hotline in 2015. The CDC estimates that for every case confirmed, two more go unreported.
The Clark Center will be open to patients later this month.