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Boone County Child Abuse Cases Were Ignored

The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services has opened an investigation into why 92 cases of possible child abuse or neglect in Boone County were either not assigned to social workers or ignored. It has also sent extra staff to the 12-county Northern Kentucky region to train and assist new staff.

One or more employees reported the problem, according to cabinet spokeswoman Anya Weber. "We always encourage staff to bring forward any concerns without fear of retaliation. In this case, immediate action was taken to address the concerns identified by staff members."

The Louisville Courier Journal says "Current and former social workers report increasing disarray at the agency, describing it as a punishing, pressure-cooker environment where they are driven to meet quotas and punished for reporting problems."

Ann Thompson has decades of journalism experience in the Greater Cincinnati market and brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her reporting.