Child Abuse Awareness & Prevention: A chat with the county’s lead investigator
Le Sueur County’s Child Protection Investigators Cari Krenik (left) and Kari Davis tie a blue ribbon to a tree to help bring awareness to Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month. (Photo courtesy of Cari Krenik)
People are usually not happy to see her at their door.
She understands, but hopes that can change.
She’s Cari Krenik, the Lead Child Protection Investigator for Le Sueur County, who has seen many, many things and has learned even more in her seven years on the job.
“After I introduce myself, I always reassure them they are NOT in trouble and I’m only there to talk. There’s no need to panic,” explained Krenik. “Most likely I’m there to follow up on a report we received, but roughly half of the reports turn out to be nothing concerning. And, if there is something concerning, we’re there to help.”
Krenik helped a team from the county’s Child Protection department hang blue ribbons at the courthouse and schools in the county last weekend in an effort to spotlight April being Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month.
This year, Krenik’s main message is: Child Protection is there to help.
“There’s a stigma attached to Child Protection. Some people think our job is to take children out of their homes, which is just not true. Yes, in extreme circumstances it does come to that, but our goal is to keep.....
To see more on this story pick up the print edition of the April 4, 2019 papers.
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