In observation of Child Abuse Prevention Month, the Family Justice Resource Center presented the 2021 Child Protection Advocacy Award to Patricia Krueger of Decatur, IL.
The FJRC board of directors selected Patricia for this award because of her dedication to ensure that limited child welfare resources are appropriately allocated to helping children who are being abused. She has volunteered countless hours helping families and attorneys secure objective second opinions from medical experts. Her efforts have helped reunite innocent families and further the FJRC’s mission of both protecting abused children and exonerating innocent families. FJRC Executive Director, Michelle Weidner, presented Krueger with the award. In her speech, she shared, “Patricia has helped further our mission of increasing the efficacy and efficiency of abuse investigations so that the time, energy, and money spent investigating innocent families can instead be spent rescuing children who are actually being abused.”
Michelle concluded, “When it comes down to it, the FJRC does not exist to help parents. We exist to help children. Our mission is to protect children from harm–whether that harm comes from the hand of a parent or from a broken child welfare system.”
In accepting the award, Patricia shared about her motivation to volunteer for FJRC. After navigating a false allegation of her own, she equates the complexities of fighting to prove one’s innocence with fitting together the pieces of a puzzle. She thanked the numerous people in her life who supported her and her family throughout the difficult time, and said, “Without any of those puzzle pieces, we could not be where we are today, and it breaks my heart to think about the mom and dad who are just missing a puzzle piece. What are they doing? We need change, and I won’t stop until we get it.”