2023 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 37
BY SENATOR HENRY
A RESOLUTION
To designate Thursday, April 27, 2023, 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, April has been designated as National Child Abuse Prevention Month;
and
WHEREAS, one in ten children will experience sexual abuse before age 18; and
WHEREAS, Louisiana's Child Advocacy Centers provide services to over 6,000
children each year in the 64 parishes of Louisiana for cases involving physical abuse,
neglect, sexual abuse, human trafficking, and for children who have witnessed domestic
violence and homicide; and
WHEREAS, Louisiana's Child Advocacy Centers provide education and awareness
efforts for the prevention, identification, and reporting of child abuse and in 2022, reached
over 54,000 professionals and community members; and
WHEREAS, the purpose of Louisiana's Child Advocacy Centers is to provide every
child referred to a 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, members of the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services,
various law enforcement agencies, medical and mental health providers, and victim
advocates; and
WHEREAS, Child Advocacy Centers use evidence-based practices to support child
well-being, and research demonstrates that this approach improves outcomes for children,
reduces trauma for families, and saves taxpayer money; and
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WHEREAS, the Louisiana Alliance of Children's Advocacy Centers is 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 up to five centers on the path to national
accreditation, Louisiana's Child Advocacy Centers are a part of a network of over 900
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 Thursday, April 27, 2023, 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, Aelania Auzenne, and
Executive Director, Krystle Mitchell.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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