Cargill event helps United Way agencies inform workers

Child Safe Office Manager Judi White, standing center, addresses Cargill Meat Solutions employees, from left, Lisa Huesgen, Leticia Hernandez, Santiago Inzunza, Marta Tobar, Karen Harvey and Juan Benitez, about the work done by Child Safe, one member of United Way of Saline County, which is currently involved in fundraising efforts. (Geoff Rands/Democrat-News) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

Cargill Meat Solutions employees met with Judi White, office manager of Child Safe, Thursday, Oct. 8, who asked them to contribute to United Way of Saline County's annual fundraising effort.

Wes Craig, technology service manager at Cargill, told employees that each dollar they pledge will result in two additional dollars going toward UWSC -- one from the Cargill plant in Marshall and one from Cargill headquarters.

All of these funds will stay within Saline County, Craig added.

Child Safe is a child advocacy center that works with children who have experienced sexual or severe physical abuse, said White.

"It's a safe, child-friendly environment for the child to be interviewed," she added. The organization also performs forensic exams in the case of sexual assault.

Child Safe works with the Department of Social Services Children's division, law enforcement departments and prosecutors' office, White said.

It serves 10 counties, including Saline County.

In the 2009 fiscal year, she said, Child Safe interviewed 363 children, of whom 57, or approximately 16 percent, were from Saline County. Only one child from Saline County received a forensic exam during this time.

Staff at Child Safe includes two physicians and two child advocates. The advocates do case reviews until the case goes to trial or is dropped, said White. In the 2009 fiscal year, 191 case reviews were performed for Saline County residents.

Of the 83 cases referred to Child Safe in the 2007 fiscal year, 21 were found to be unsubstantiated, according to evidence supplied by Child Safe Executive Director Carolyn Green. In the remaining 62 cases, 18 were prosecuted, resulting in 14 convictions. The remaining four cases are still pending.

Nationally, for all sexual assault, including adults and children, the prosecution rate is around 18 percent, said Green.

"We might see a child today, but it might take one to two years before that case ever goes to prosecution," said White of the data's age.

Child Safe is a non-profit organization, but does receive funding from state appropriations, said White.

Of children ages 3 through 17, Child Safe doesn't "turn any children away," White said.

"What if that were your child?" she asked.

Though only 10 employees were present for White's presentation, all 400-plus Cargill employees will receive a similar presentation before the end of UWSC's fundraising season, said Craig.

Contact Geoff Rands at marshallreporter@socket.net