NATCHEZ &045; Employees of several local child welfare agencies gathered Wednesday for a ceremony to let the public know of the extent of child abuse and neglect in Adams County.

The state Department of Human Services, Adams County Families First and several other agencies sponsored the event, which was held at the DHS building on East Franklin Street. There, 44 balloons were released &045;&045; one for each substantiated case of child abuse or neglect in Adams County last year.

The Adams County DHS office has only case workers to see that abused or neglected children are protected and placed with stable caregivers, sponsors said.

Each worker is given dozens of cases to shepherd through the system. One of the biggest myths is that case workers don’t do enough to help the children who are sent their way, said Jeanne Wickham of Adams County Youth Court. &uot;They have huge caseloads,&uot; she said.

But those attending the ceremony said that there are many other child abuse-related myths they wanted to dispel.

Such as the myth that only children from low-income families are the victims of child abuse. Or that the only kind of child abuse is the kind that leaves bruises or broken bones, for mental abuse is also a problem locally and nationally, as well as such forms of neglect as not getting a child proper medical care or schooling.

Neglect was what brought 15-year-old Amanda into the system. Amanda (not her real name) told those gathered at the ceremony a story of being neglected by her drug-addicted mother. At age 11, Adams County case workers finally arranged for her to live with her grandparents.

She’s thankful for that intervention, for she believes that if she was still with her mother, she might be on drugs now, too.

Her message to attendees? &uot;No matter what you’re going through, something positive can come out of it,&uot; she said.

Matilda Stephens, who directs the Sunshine Shelter, a temporary home for abused and neglected children, said how the United States treats abused and neglected children will say much about it as a nation.

&uot;The Bible say we’ll be judged by how we treat those who are most vulnerable,&uot; she said.