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Dallas County commissioners adopt proclamations on child welfare, maternal health and public‑safety recognitions
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Summary
The Commissioners Court on April 7 adopted multiple proclamations recognizing a retiring fire chief, leadership academy graduates, Alcohol Awareness Month, Child Abuse Prevention Month, Home Visiting Week, and Black Maternal Health Week; the court also commended staff who completed the county's bank migration.
The Dallas County Commissioners Court adopted a string of ceremonial proclamations and recognitions Tuesday, honoring public‑safety and public‑service achievements and spotlighting efforts aimed at preventing child abuse and improving maternal and early‑childhood outcomes.
The court unanimously approved a resolution recognizing Chief Reginald J. Alexander Sr. on his retirement after nearly three decades of service, praising his leadership roles with the Cedar Hill Fire Department and statewide firefighting organizations. “Thank you for your service,” the court said in adopting the measure, which Commissioner Price moved and the court carried by voice vote.
The court also congratulated 25 county leaders who completed the National Association of Counties High Performance Leadership Academy and issued proclamations endorsing April as Alcohol Awareness Month, April as Child Abuse Prevention Month, a week recognizing home visitors, and Black Maternal Health Week. Speakers from Mothers Against Drunk Driving, AAA Texas and the Dallas County DWI task force urged prevention strategies and reminded residents about sober‑ride options. Nonprofit leaders and social‑service providers described local needs, cited county and statewide statistics, and urged greater investment in prevention and home‑based supports.
Ona Foster, CEO of Family Compass, told the court her coalition’s programs and coordinated community response have prevented children from entering the child‑welfare system and that local providers see growing demand: “We know how to stop child abuse and neglect and we thank you for recognizing our collective efforts,” she said.
United Way Metropolitan Dallas and other providers outlined proposals to expand affordable high‑quality child care and to consider a potential local childcare fund, saying increases in pre‑K enrollment and universal pre‑K in some districts could reduce downstream costs and improve kindergarten readiness.
On workforce development, the court issued congratulations to graduates of the county leadership programs. The court also recognized 29 employees who led the county’s bank migration project from Bank of America to Wells Fargo — the first migration of that scale since 1982 — thanking treasury and IT staff for completing the conversion without interruption to payroll and fund management.
The resolutions were largely ceremonial and passed with unanimous voice votes. The court said the proclamations aim to raise community awareness and to encourage partnership among county offices, nonprofit providers and healthcare organizations as next steps.
