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Law & Order SVU Actor to Recognize Child Abuse Prevention Month in Washington

On April 5, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit star Tamara Tunie will travel to Washington, DC, to deliver a petition asking Congress to hold hearings on child abuse and neglect deaths.  The petition signed by nearly 9,000 people will be delivered specifically to Congressman David Camp of Michigan during a congressional briefing on child abuse deaths in America.

The briefing will be hosted by the National Coalition to End Child Abuse Deaths and the Children's Advocacy Institute (CAI).  Experts from the five organizations comprising the Coalition as well as from CAI will be on-site to present what is known about the estimated 2,500 children that die in the United States every year from abuse and neglect.  These experts will go beyond just addressing the startling statistics to discuss suggested national strategies for decreasing and ultimately preventing these tragic deaths.

Kimberly Day, coordinator for the coalition, said about the event, "Everyday in America at least 7 children are killed by someone who is supposed to love them.  We know what works to keep these children safe from harm.  We hope this event on Capitol Hill will spark the beginning of a national call to act on solutions to end child abuse deaths".

This congressional briefing is timely, as the Government Accountability Office will soon be releasing a report titled "Child Fatalities in the Child Welfare System."  This report, requested by Congressman Camp, will address concerns regarding the disclosure and classification of child fatalities due to abuse and/or neglect.

— Source: National Association of Social Workers