TO RECOGNIZE APRIL AS CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH IN ARKANSAS AND TO COMMEND THE COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATE (CASA) PROGRAMS.
SR13 is a Senate resolution recognizing April as Child Abuse Prevention Month in Arkansas. It states that child abuse and neglect remain serious concerns and calls attention to the need for families, communities, nonprofit organizations, and public leaders to work together to protect children and strengthen families.
The resolution also commends Arkansas’s 23 Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) programs, which recruit, train, and support volunteers appointed by judges to advocate for children in foster care who have experienced abuse or neglect. It highlights CASA’s role in gathering information, making recommendations to the court, and helping children achieve safe, stable, and permanent homes, noting that in 2025 more than 2,780 children were served by over 1,300 CASA advocates.
SR13 does not change Arkansas statutory law or create new legal duties; it is a nonbinding legislative resolution. Its practical effect is symbolic and commemorative, formally designating April as Child Abuse Prevention Month in Arkansas and expressing legislative support for CASA programs and child welfare advocacy efforts. It may help raise public awareness and reinforce support for child protection and foster care advocacy organizations.
The overall sentiment is strongly supportive and commendatory. The resolution frames child abuse prevention as a shared civic responsibility and praises CASA volunteers, staff, and programs for their service to vulnerable children. There is no recorded opposition, committee controversy, or vote history indicating disagreement, and the measure appears to have been treated as a consensus recognition resolution before sine die adjournment.
There is little to no apparent contention in the text or available legislative history. The resolution is largely ceremonial, and its findings emphasize widely shared goals such as child safety, family support, and foster care advocacy. Any potential policy differences would likely be indirect and centered on broader child welfare priorities or resource support for CASA programs, but no specific objections are recorded.