Rice County officials call on public for help following jump in child abuse reports

An 8 percent increase of child abuse reports in Rice County has led officials to call for a community response.

With April being Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month, officials statewide are seeking solutions for the 39,500 reports of child abuse or neglect last year, a 25 percent increase. Of those, 16,400 were part of child maltreatment investigations, which is a 43 percent increase from 2015.

In Rice County, 1,471 cases of child abuse were reported last year compared to 1,362 in 2015.

In 2012, the number of reported cases in Rice County was 952, which grew by almost 200 cases to 1,156 in 2013. Since, that number has steadily climbed by about 100 cases per year.

Addressing the issue statewide is something Gov. Mark Dayton expressed interest in, but locally, staff within Rice County Child and Family Services are doing what they can this April to curb the trend.

"I think it's really important for people to understand that when they live in small communities, people sometimes have the idea or the belief that child abuse doesn't happen here, but it's a very real thing everywhere,

regardless of the population of a community," said Suzi Nerison, a supervisor at Rice County Child and Family Services.

Nerison and her colleague, Christine Davis, who started with the county in January, agree with state officials that the burden of combating this trend falls on each and every adult in the state.

"While it is our job in counties, tribes and at the Minnesota Department of Human Services to protect children from abuse and neglect, all of us ? every caring adult in Minnesota ? has a role to play to prevent harm from ever happening," said Jim Koppel, an assistant commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Human Services in a press release.

Abuse and neglect can occur in all types of families, but those struggling financially or with drug abuse are particularly at risk, officials say.

In response, state and local governments are trying to help reduce those stressors on families to indirectly hamper the growing child abuse problem, such as offering economic supports, nutritional assistance, parenting classes, and chemical and mental health treatment.

"While these resources are helpful, we can be a second pair of eyes, noticing when stressed-out parents have reached their limit, and offer them a break," Koppel said. "We can be a second pair of ears when we hear angry voices and loud noises in homes where young children are present, and try to help diffuse these situations before they become crisis."

For Davis and Nerison, these same principles apply. They both cited "being positive parents" as one way to maintain a healthy family, but they also called on the community as a whole.

"If you want to have healthy families, we have to look at this as, not a mom or dad's responsibility, but as a community raising kids," Davis explained.

Nerison cited a real-world example.

"We've all seen a kid throwing a complete fit on the ground in public," she said. "Something as simple as a smile instead of a judgmental look helps. It can be really tough to have young children. Let them know so they don't feel alone for what is a struggle for them at that time."

Besides being positive members of society, Nerison and Davis offered some other options for people who want to help the cause, like becoming foster parents, and donating clothes or money to decrease a family's stress level.

But that's not all.

"It's also important for people to understand that it's a scary thing to call in a child protection report, but if you see something that makes you uncomfortable, call social services or law enforcement if you witness something that isn't right or makes you uneasy," said Nerison.

Doing something is a point of emphasis this April.

"The results of doing nothing can be costly, leading to depression, substance abuse, learning difficulties, early pregnancies, unhealthy relationships and difficulty in school for children," said Koppel. "We must focus on helping and nurturing children and supporting their parents."

Nerison and Davis have devoted their time and efforts to do exactly that, but they feel it's important to remind the public that they can't do it alone.

"We can't have eyes on it at all times," said Davis. "We are working as hard as we can, but we need the support of the community."