Montgomery County child abuse and neglect investigations
2010
Neglect: 1,663
Physical abuse: 1,213
Sexual abuse: 378
Emotional abuse: 649
Dependency: 339
Other: 555
2009
Neglect: 1,717
Physical abuse: 1,164
Sexual abuse: 331
Emotional abuse: 533
Dependency: 232
Other: 516
Source: Montgomery County Department of Job and Family Services, Children Services division
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DAYTON — Montgomery County Children Services has seen a 16.2 percent increase in investigations involving child abuse and neglect from 2009 to 2010.
Officials said Friday that the county conducted 4,797 abuse and neglect investigations in 2010, compared to 4,128 the year before.
“People have seen unemployment or cuts in pay, increases in substance abuse and mental health issues,” Montgomery County Commissioner Dan Foley said. “All of these things can hinder a parents ability to properly care for their child.”
The agency has seen an increase in cases involving children being left to fend for themselves, to care for other kids, or forced to live in filth as well as a disturbing rise in severe abuse cases of children younger than 3.
“Often when there is sustained stress upon families, children are the silent victims,” said Geraldine Pegues, assistant director of Children Services.
Trula Cline knows how real abuse can be. She didn’t want to believe that her daughter Britney had been abused by a relative.
Cline said a telephone call from a school official asking her to come to the hospital changed the Dayton family’s life. Britney, then 7 years old, had reached out to a teacher. Unable to verbalize the abuse, the child had communicated her pain in a drawing.
Montgomery County Children Services removed Britney from her mom’s home in Dayton until they eliminated her as a suspect. Ten years later, mom and daughter say they’re glad the agency charged with protecting children got involved in their lives.
“I hated them for a while, but it all turned around,” Cline said. “Now, they’re like family.”
The Montgomery County Department of Job and Family Services, Children Services Division investigated 4,797 cases of child abuse and neglect in 2010, an increase of 669 compared to 2009 figures.
The increasing number of investigations is not a new trend. The number of cases climbed over 4,000 in 2007 for the first time since 1997, when the division handled 4,362 investigations.
“Britney had the courage to maybe not speak her words, but she wrote a letter to a teacher,” Geraldine Pegues, assistant director of the Children Services Division said. “When kids speak to you, listen.”
The Clines gathered with Montgomery County officials on Friday for the kickoff of Child Abuse Prevention Month activities.
“Today’s families are faced with a multitude of challenges like unemployment, substance abuse and mental health issues which complicate their ability to cope,” Pegues said. “Getting families the upfront support they need is critical in staving off the maltreatment of children.”
The call for more investigations comes as budget cuts continue to erode the division’s funding.
The state cut funding to the county’s Children Services Division by $372,000 in 2011. Now the agency faces an additional 10 percent reduction over two years as part of Gov. John Kasich’s remedy for Ohio’s $8 billion projected deficit. The budget also would eliminate the Kinship Permanency Incentive Program, which provides a twice-yearly $335 subsidy to 307 Montgomery County families with custody of a relative’s child.
Montgomery County Children Services says it’s facing a projected $2 million deficit for 2012. County taxpayers, via the human services levies, contributed about 57 percent of the Children Services’ $49 million budget last year, while the state kicked in $3.5 million, or 6.8 percent.
The agency served 5,839 families in 2010, providing foster care placement, adoption services, investigating neglect or abuse cases and working with families in crisis to prevent removal of children from their homes.
Pegues said the agency continues to pare down staffing through attrition, but additional reductions are needed. She said the department is reviewing all foster care placements to determine if some children can be stepped down to a lower, less expensive level of care. However, officials say that’s not always possible because of the child’s needs.
Pegues made a plea to the community for more adults to consider becoming foster parents.
The budget squeeze is also impacting workers.
The Montgomery County Commission, on March 22, rejected the recommendations of fact-finder Marcus Hart Sandver to settle a contract dispute with the Professionals Guild of Ohio, representing about 250 workers at Children Services.
The recommendations called for capping employee monthly health insurance contributions at 10 percent and awarding some merit increases. The county wanted to raise employee contributions to 15 percent.
The recommendations called for no wage increases in 2011, but the contract could have been reopened in 2012 and 2013 to determine wage rates.
“These folks do tremendous work for us, and we’re proud of their effort,” Montgomery County Administrator Deborah Feldman said. “Our concerns are economic. All of our funds are under tremendous financial pressure.”
John Campbell-Orde, general council for the guild, said his membership voted to accept the fact-finder report even though it included no general wage increase.
“Even though it was not exactly what we wanted, we felt it was responsible for the county and a middle ground for our members. We were disappointed the county rejected it.”
Campbell-Orde said it’s the union’s desire to meet again with county officials in an attempt to fashion an agreement acceptable to both sides.
To report suspected child abuse or neglect, call (937) 224-KIDS (5437).
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