The Daily Dispatch

Social workers are an important, if often unrecognized, part of every community. As April is Child Abuse and Prevention month, local service agencies will be doing what they can to spread awareness. But between Richland and Wilkin counties, four child care specialists devote their time year round to aid families during times of crisis.

Bruce Bueling, a child protection worker at Richland County Social Services, has worked in the field for the past 10 years. Originally trained as a child educator, Bueling did not enter the teaching field because of economic factors at the time. But he always knew he wanted to work with children.

"I was also a foster parent for 13 years, so it all kind of ties in," he said.

Child protection workers are typically required to have experience in the field. Four years before his current job, Bueling was a family social worker in Ransom and Sargent counties. Bueling splits his case load with Kristi Ford, another child protection social worker who was unavailable for comment. Richland County is approaching 200 cases of suspected child abuse and neglect per year, he said.

Bueling mostly handles cases of neglect, which are the most frequent in the county and the hardest for him personally. Unsuitable living conditions, such as a messy home or one without heat, top the list of calls the department receives. Economic trends, more single parents and younger child-bearers are a few of the reasons he cites behind the surge.

In the last six months, Bueling has noticed is a decrease in methamphetamine use among families. He's also witnessed a tremendous increase in autistic children, and cites a lack of daycare facilities that accept those kids as one of the reasons behind the spike. The burdens can be extremely high for some families, he said.

And the burden also rests on child care workers. Confidentiality requirements of the job and dealing with families in high-stress situations can cause emotional wear and tear. According to Bueling, statistics he's read report the average child protection worker lasts three years.

Stacy Hennen, a child protection specialist at Wilkin County Social Services, agrees that turnover is high. Both Hennen and Cynthia Sprung, a child protection specialist, handle up to 25 case loads per month. Sprung was not available for comment.

While working with children was a natural extension for Hennen, she did not enter the field fresh out of college. She spent eight years in Fergus Falls, Minn., as a supervisor of a residential facility for adolescents before she started work for the county. She will celebrate her sixth year with Wilkin County in July.

A mother of two, Hennen said the sexual abuse cases are the hardest for her. In the last three weeks, she estimates four cases of that nature have occurred. If a victim is close to her own children's age or her children know the victim, it hits home.

"I've had some cases of severe chronic neglect and abuse, and that's heartbreaking," she said. "Because the little kids are such victims and so vulnerable."

But the most rewarding aspect is watching the kids "who have mental health or behavioral problems become healthier and function better."

Like Bueling, Hennen also encounters a lot of neglected children.

"I think more and more, you have two-parent households who don't know what to do for daycare," said Hennen. For parents who hold multiple jobs and children, the stress can be overwhelming.

"Parents also don't make the best decisions because they may not be properly informed," she said. While part of Hennen's job is to help educate and provide structure to a family system, some elements fall out of everyone's hands.

"Kids have such exposure to things that parents can't always control," she said. "We get a lot of parents who just don't know what to do."

Hennen believes the fast pace of today's society has changed the family dynamic.

"Family becomes secondary to paying for the mortgage, and your kids suffer from that in the long run," she said. "Kids need a basic foundation, and we're seeing more and more kids who don't have that."

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