Social service budgets are being cut at the federal, state and local level. That is why it was heartening to read this column from Eric Atherton of the Post-Bulletin in Rochester, Minn.

Atherton wrote the column after Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton (D) vetoed a $900-million budget cutting bill.

Atherton, who adopted children after he and his wife moved to Minnesota in 1999,  made a very personal and compelling case for why states should not cut child protection funding. His column praised social workers and others for helping his family adopt and for protecting children in desperate circumstances.

He wrote:

“Even if these funds were lost, I have no doubt that children who are in imminent danger or who have been hurt by their parents will be protected. Anyone who’s spent any time with a social worker or police officer knows that when a kid is in trouble, these people will move heaven and earth to get them out of harm’s way.”

To learn more about the role social workers play in protecting children, visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Kids & Families Web page by clicking here.