Children advocacy centers ask for $1.17 million to standardize evidence and expand multidisciplinary capacity
March 23, 2026 | 2026 Legislature LA, Louisiana
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Kimberly Young, interim executive director of the Louisiana Alliance of Childrens Advocacy Centers and executive director of Hearts of Hope in Lafayette, urged the House Appropriations Committee to approve a $1,173,000 supplemental appropriation to support a statewide Childrens Advocacy Center (CAC) infrastructure and standardization initiative.
Young told the committee Louisianas 14 accredited CACs serve more than 7,500 children a year and meet national accreditation standards, but operate with differing systems for storing and transferring forensic interviews and other digital evidence. She said the request would allow all centers to adopt Gardify, a digital evidence-management system already in use at six CACs, at a first-year statewide price of about $123,000 if at least eight centers participate. "It allows us to very securely digitally transfer evidence," Young said, adding the system logs transfers and downloads to preserve chain of custody for prosecution.
Tanya Haas, executive director of the Baton Rouge Childrens Advocacy Center, described improvements enabled by recent appropriations at her center, including hiring therapists and eliminating a therapy waitlist. Committee members asked how the funding would be used; presenters said most of the appropriation would support core multidisciplinary-team (MDT) services and the digital platform to reduce ad hoc practices like burning forensic interviews to DVDs.
Young linked the budget request to provisions in a separate proposal (SB 237) that would require MDT review before cases are closed by DCFS or law enforcement; she and lawmakers discussed how added review requirements would increase CAC workload and thus the need for staffing and technology investments to maintain capacity. Young said standardization and investment would help ensure consistent access to coordinated interviews, forensic medical exams and long-term advocacy across all 64 parishes.
The hearing did not include a committee vote on the appropriation request; presenters said they would provide budget breakdowns to legislators who requested more detail. The committee moved on to other scheduled testimony.
Young told the committee Louisianas 14 accredited CACs serve more than 7,500 children a year and meet national accreditation standards, but operate with differing systems for storing and transferring forensic interviews and other digital evidence. She said the request would allow all centers to adopt Gardify, a digital evidence-management system already in use at six CACs, at a first-year statewide price of about $123,000 if at least eight centers participate. "It allows us to very securely digitally transfer evidence," Young said, adding the system logs transfers and downloads to preserve chain of custody for prosecution.
Tanya Haas, executive director of the Baton Rouge Childrens Advocacy Center, described improvements enabled by recent appropriations at her center, including hiring therapists and eliminating a therapy waitlist. Committee members asked how the funding would be used; presenters said most of the appropriation would support core multidisciplinary-team (MDT) services and the digital platform to reduce ad hoc practices like burning forensic interviews to DVDs.
Young linked the budget request to provisions in a separate proposal (SB 237) that would require MDT review before cases are closed by DCFS or law enforcement; she and lawmakers discussed how added review requirements would increase CAC workload and thus the need for staffing and technology investments to maintain capacity. Young said standardization and investment would help ensure consistent access to coordinated interviews, forensic medical exams and long-term advocacy across all 64 parishes.
The hearing did not include a committee vote on the appropriation request; presenters said they would provide budget breakdowns to legislators who requested more detail. The committee moved on to other scheduled testimony.
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