2021 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 13
BY SENATOR HENRY
A RESOLUTION
To designate Monday, April 19, 2021, as Child Advocacy Center (CAC) Day in Louisiana.
WHEREAS, Louisiana's Child Advocacy Centers have made valuable contributions
to the state and have helped to make the state a better place for children and families; and
WHEREAS, with the establishment of the Jefferson Children's Advocacy Center in
Gretna, Louisiana, in 1991, this year, 2021, marks the thirtieth anniversary for Child
Advocacy Centers in Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, April has been designated National Child Abuse Prevention Month; and
WHEREAS, one in ten children will experience sexual abuse before age eighteen;
and
WHEREAS, Louisiana's Child Advocacy Centers provide services to over 5,000
children each year in the sixty-four parishes of this state for cases involving physical abuse,
neglect, sexual abuse, human trafficking, and children who have witnessed domestic
violence and homicide; and
WHEREAS, Louisiana's Child Advocacy Centers reach over 23,000 professionals
and community members annually through education and awareness efforts for the
prevention, identification, and reporting of child abuse; and
WHEREAS, the purpose of Louisiana's Child Advocacy Centers is to provide every
child victim referred to CAC a comfortable, child-friendly environment for forensic
interviewing, victim advocacy, mental health, and other services in order to reduce further
trauma to the child and promote healing; and
WHEREAS, Child Advocacy Centers work with multidisciplinary teams of child
abuse professionals to coordinate child abuse investigation and intervention, including
district attorneys, Department of Children and Family Services, various law enforcement
agencies, medical and mental health providers, and victim advocates; and
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WHEREAS, CACs use evidence-based practices to support child well-being, and that
research has demonstrated these programs improve outcomes for children, reduce trauma
for families, and save taxpayer money; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana Alliance of Children's Advocacy Centers are the state
chapter established for the empowerment, collaboration, and advocacy of Louisiana's Child
Advocacy Centers and provides a wide range of critical services to local member centers,
including training, technical assistance, data collection, and advocacy; and
WHEREAS, with ten centers that are currently fully accredited members in good
standing with the National Children's Alliance, and five centers on the path to national
accreditation, Louisiana's Child Advocacy Centers are a part of a network of over nine
hundred centers across the nation which serve over 350,000 children annually.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby designate Monday, April 19, 2021, as Child Advocacy Center (CAC) Day in
Louisiana and does hereby commend the dedication and excellent work of the CACs and
their staff on behalf of the citizens of Louisiana.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
Louisiana Alliance of Children's Advocacy Centers Board President, Joelle Henderson, and
Executive Director, Kate Shipley.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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