Number of child abuse cases jumps
The number of child abuse cases confirmed and founded rose 93 percent in 2016 in Chickasaw County over a dip in most categories in 2015, with the notable exception of physical abuse, Department of Human Services data show. The upward trend looks smaller, however, when compared to five-year averages.Chickasaw County Child Abuse Prevention Council members gathered in the courthouse boardroom April 2 as the Board of Supervisors proclaimed April 2018 Child Abuse Prevention Month.Viewing the data, keep in mind, child abuse “is very, very hard sometimes to identify” County Public Health Administrator Kathryn Babcock said.— For more on this story, see the April 10 New Hampton Tribune.