Lebanon OH
7-30-2026 11:47pm

Child Advocacy Center Seeks Stable County Funding

LEBANON, OH — Warren County Prosecutor David Fornshell is urging county commissioners to make the Warren County Child Advocacy Center a permanent part of the county's annual budget, saying the center has become an essential government service as the number of abused children receiving help continues to grow.

Speaking during Tuesday's Warren County Commission meeting, Fornshell and Warren County Sheriff Barry Riley outlined both the operational success of the Child Advocacy Center (CAC) and the financial uncertainty that comes from relying on grants and fundraising to cover a significant portion of its expenses.

According to Fornshell, the center served 457 children during 2024. Through the first six months of 2026, the center had already served 275 children, putting it on pace to assist approximately 550 children this year. Mental health services have also increased substantially, with 71 children receiving therapy through June, compared with 61 during all of 2024.

Fornshell credited the growth to the work of new Child Advocacy Center Director Erika Bourelle and said family satisfaction surveys consistently rate the center between 95 and 100 percent.

"The people that we're trying to serve — the families and the children who have been victims of child physical and sexual abuse — really think we're doing an outstanding job," Fornshell said.

The prosecutor explained that before the Child Advocacy Center was established nearly 20 years ago, law enforcement officers and children's services workers conducted interviews with child victims individually. Today, specially trained forensic interviewers handle those interviews, reducing trauma for children while improving investigations and court proceedings.

Fornshell called the center "a core governmental function," saying prosecutors and law enforcement agencies throughout Warren County rely on its services and could not provide the same level of response without it.

The center's proposed 2027 operating budget totals approximately $415,000. About $225,000 is expected to come from three primary grant sources, leaving roughly $190,000 that currently must be covered through fundraising, donations and other grants.

Fornshell said the current funding model requires prosecutors, sheriff's office personnel, Children's Services staff and Child Advocacy Center employees to spend considerable time raising money instead of focusing on serving child abuse victims.

Rather than continuing to "pass the hat," he asked commissioners to include the Child Advocacy Center in the county's regular budget process, similar to other county departments, while continuing to pursue grant funding to offset expenses.

Commissioner Dave Young expressed support for the request, noting that the Child Advocacy Center has proven its value since its creation.

"I was actually surprised it didn't fall under just a core department of government," Young said, adding that the proposal would provide greater financial predictability without dramatically changing overall costs.

Commissioner Shannon Jones focused on ensuring mental health services remain part of the Child Advocacy Center's mission, saying the model was designed to prevent child victims from being retraumatized during investigations and prosecutions. She said protecting children from revictimization is one of the center's most important functions.

Sheriff Barry Riley also voiced his support, saying investigators have seen increasing demands related to internet crimes against children.

"When the people who matter say that this is working better now than it ever has been, I'm taking note," Riley said of feedback from staff working directly with child victims.

Commissioners did not take action Tuesday. Instead, the request is expected to be considered as part of the county's upcoming budget deliberations.

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