GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – “What we want to do is bring attention by requesting and asking residents of Brown County to wear blue tomorrow.”
Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach is encouraging residents to wear blue on Friday to raise awareness for Child Abuse Prevention Month, shining a light on how the community is aiming to help combat this issue.
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“In our community, we have children who fall victim to abuse and neglect in our community,” said Streckenbach. “And it’s really common for us to try to do everything we can to rid that out of our community.”
Blue pinwheels were planted in Green Bay earlier this month, one way the community is raising awareness about child abuse.
Brown County Health and Human Services plays a role in monitoring these cases and making sure that children have a safe place to live if that occurs.
In 2025, they saw more than 1,000 screened cases, a number they want to see lower.
“We need foster parents so that if children do experience abuse or neglect and are unsafe, we need good homes to put them into,” said Brown County Health and Human Services Director Erik Pritzl.
CASA of Brown County is another resource that helps improve the lives of children who have suffered from child abuse.
“Prevention starts with connection. It looks like one consistent, caring adult showing up and reminding a child that they matter,” said CASA Executive Director Michelle Pierquet-Hohner. “And the most important thing to remember is that this is something that all of us in our community can be a part of.”
Brown County Court Judge Samantha Wagner has seen how these cases have played out from both sides of the bench, saying this is something that the community needs to be aware of and take action.
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“Children in our community deserve to feel safe in any surroundings of their own, whether that’s their home, their school or any other public setting,” said Wagner. “Child Abuse Prevention Month is not only about promoting that safety and stability that children deserve to feel, but it’s also highlighting the need to support those victims and to stop the cycle of violence.”
Streckenbach has made a proclamation in Brown County that April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, aiming to try and get rid of this violence in the community.
