ENROLLED
2018 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 119
BY REPRESENTATIVE STEVE CARTER
A RESOLUTION
To designate Thursday, April 26, 2018, as Children's Advocacy Centers Day at the state
capitol.
WHEREAS, April has been designated as National Child Abuse Prevention Month;
and
WHEREAS, one in ten children will be sexually abused by the age of eighteen, and
in 2017, twenty-five children in Louisiana died as a result of abuse or neglect; and
WHEREAS, Louisiana's Children's Advocacy Centers, or CACs, have helped to
make Louisiana a safer place for children and families since 1991; and
WHEREAS, CACs are community-based agencies designed to meet the unique needs
of the communities they serve; and
WHEREAS, all of Louisiana's parishes are served by the state's sixteen CACs, and
thousands of Louisiana's children and their families benefit because of their advocacy,
education, and awareness efforts; and
WHEREAS, the purpose of Louisiana's CACs is to provide every child victim a
comfortable and child-friendly environment; and
WHEREAS, Louisiana's CACs help abused or neglected children by providing
developmentally appropriate and culturally sensitive forensic interviews, coordinated case
planning, and other services to prevent further trauma to the child and promote healing for
the child and family; and
WHEREAS, CACs use evidence-based practices to support the well-being of
children, and such practices have been shown to improve outcomes for children, reduce
trauma for families, and save taxpayers money; and
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WHEREAS, child abuse disproportionately affects communities where resources are
not readily available for victims in stressful situations; and
WHEREAS, the prevention of child abuse through the strengthening of families is
better for children and more cost effective for Louisiana taxpayers; and
WHEREAS, CACs work with local communities to educate individuals to prevent,
recognize, and respond to child abuse; and
WHEREAS, CACs work as part of multidisciplinary teams of professionals; teams
include members of law enforcement agencies, child protection services, legal services, the
medical profession, the mental health profession, and victim's advocates organizations; and
WHEREAS, Louisiana's CACs are well equipped to serve the needs of Louisiana's
abused children and are well suited to helping children by coordinating investigations and
delivering services.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
Legislature of Louisiana does hereby designate Thursday, April 26, 2018, as Children's
Advocacy Centers Day at the state capitol and does hereby commend the dedication and
excellent work of the staffs of Louisiana's Children's Advocacy Centers on behalf of the
citizens of Louisiana.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted
to the Louisiana Alliance of Children's Advocacy Centers board president, Stacie LeBlanc,
and executive director, Tyler M. Bosworth.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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