In 2024, there were more than 150 Dependency and Neglect (D&N) cases within Cascade County, a decrease from past years despite the issue continuing to be present in Montana.
Child abuse and neglect is a growing concern in the state of Montana, with many of the cases involving substance abuse and mental health problems within the families.
Cascade County’s deputy county attorneys work to mitigate the problem in a way that protects the children, while also helping the parents and families reach stability.
“As I got to know the work and understood the work, I became passionate about doing it,” said deputy county attorney Valerie Winfield. “It is emotionally demanding, and you very much have to accept your limits. What you can do, what you can't do, what is possible with the tools that you have.”
In Montana, majority of these D&N cases stem from continuous drug abuse, primarily use of methamphetamines, as well as alcohol abuse, causing parents or guardians to be unfit.
Deputy county attorney Theresa Diekhans said “We need to start paying attention to our kids and giving our kids the services and helping them.”
Winfield added, “The system is not as supportive as I think that it could be.”
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According to the deputy county attorneys, there are simply not enough resources available to break the cycle and make sure no more children are affected by drug abuse, mental illness, and neglect.
“There isn't enough out there; there aren't enough places. We've closed so many youth homes, for example, with our juvenile delinquency cases. There used to be group homes here in Great Falls that could be a successful stop gap,” explained Winfield.
According to Winfield, several youth services group homes were shut down due to them not engaging in appropriate services with the youth as they were supposed to.
Winfield also said the number of youth cases have gone down in recent years, this being due to changes in legislation, not because the problem is getting better.
In 2024, they closed about 160 cases; however, in 2018, they filed 438 cases.
“It is sad what addiction does to people, and it’s sad what it does to families. It is a struggle, and it takes support, and it takes not judgment, but it takes giving resources, giving time, recognizing what it is,” said Diekhans. “If I can be a part of that and help bring some of that to this community, then that's what I want to do.”
Most D&N cases result in the children having lasting mental health problems due to the potentially traumatic experiences in their childhood.
Deputy county attorneys who work “youth in need of care cases” are aiming to find solutions, as well as proactive measures they can take, to stop this problem and break the cycle.
