Leaders discuss the state of child welfare in Greene County

GREENE COUNTY, Mo. — Community Partnership of the Ozarks’ Child Abuse and Neglect Collaborative (CAN) met with local politicians and nonprofits to discuss child abuse in the area.

The 2024 Community Focus Report for Springfield and Greene County lists child abuse and neglect as a red flag issue. A meeting Tuesday offered an opportunity to discuss the issue Greene County continues to face with child abuse and neglect.

According to the report, Greene County had a rate of over 8,000 child abuse and neglect cases reported per 100,000 children in 2022. The statewide rate in Missouri is nearly 6,000 cases reported per 100,000 children.

The Greene County Juvenile Office says in July 2024, there were 656 active child abuse and neglect cases in the county.

CAN says the meeting continues the conversation between nearly 50 organizations and local politicians discussing how the groups can work together to help children and families in Greene County.

“We may not always agree politically on how to achieve certain goals, but I think we can all agree on the fact that we don’t want children to be abused and we really want children to have what they need in order to thrive,” said Laura Farmer, Executive Director of CASA and Chairperson for CAN. “And so that’s why a meeting like this is really important, just bringing everyone to the table so that we can discuss this important matter.”

The organizations that make up CAN aim to provide prevention, intervention and healing to children and families. The organizations work together to each provide different ways to help.

“So many organizations come together to help children through each step of the journey,” said Katiina Dull, Executive Director of the Child Advocacy Center. “Whether that’s intervention, treatment, follow-up, or prevention. it’s a very broad problem and it takes a lot of people and a lot of agencies to address the different phases.”

CAN says there are ways for you to get involved through volunteering, trauma awareness training, and even attending CAN’s monthly meetings. Learn more about the CAN Collaborative and how to get involved here .

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