Little Fork Family Advocacy Center Staff (in no particular order) Scott O’Reilly, Executive Director, Caryn Scott, In-take Coordinator, Kate Desmond, Community Outreach Coordinator, Emily Tyler, Volunteer In-take Coordinator. (Photo provided)
Little Fork Family Advocacy Center aids sexual abuse victims
By Sherry Larson
People’s Defender
Survivor support is critical for any victim of sexual abuse. Adams County Investigator Kenny Dick knows the magnitude of worth attached to helping a child navigate healing from sexual trauma. When Dick complimented the work done by Little Fork Family Advocacy Center in Clermont County under Executive Director Scott O’Reilly, The People’s Defender knew this facility was a story of interest.
During a Handle with Care meeting, Dick discussed Little Fork and their instrumental programs dealing with family trauma. He explained that many people are not aware of the Center. He elaborated, “It’s a God send.”
O’Reilly was a Clermont County prosecutor from 2002 – 2021. In 2013, he primarily took over child abuse and sexual assault cases, working extensively with the Mayerson Center at Children’s Hospital. O’Reilly met with professionals weekly to determine how they could better serve families and coordinate resources. A couple of years later, the idea of an advocacy center became the next step.
Even with purposeful planning, the project was derailed more than once. In 2016, O’Reilly and his three small children lost their wife and mother to cancer. In 2017, O’Reilly was determined to continue and told his board members, “I don’t care what we have to do – we need to open up this place and figure out how to make it work.” Then, in 2020, the first big fundraising event was canceled due to COVID.
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