Mrs Molly Fara is the Associate Director of the Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). She joined the USCCB in 2020, after serving 8 years as the first Director of Child and Youth Protection for the Diocese of Joliet in Illinois. 

She currently serves on the Prevention Committee for the Association for the Treatment and Prevention Sex Abuse and is a volunteer for Reclaim 13 – a residential program for young women rescued from human trafficking. 

Molly has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Dayton, Ohio with a major in psychology and minor in criminal justice. She earned a Master’s degree in social work from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is recognized as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Illinois and the District of Columbia, and has a Professional Educator License with School Social Work Endorsement. 

Prior work experience includes psychiatric hospital, in-patient/out-patient substance abuse treatment, residential treatment centre for emotionally disturbed youth, adult protective services and employee assistance programs.  

Molly has been married for over 30 years and has four adult children.