Legislative Advocacy Award
Please join APSAC in congratulating the first recipient of the Legislative Advocacy Award, Louisiana State Representative Kim Carver. In 2025, the APSAC Board of directors established the Legislative Advocacy Award. This Award honors an individual or organization that has demonstrated outstanding dedication and effectiveness in advocating for legislative and policy changes to protect children from maltreatment. It recognizes those who have worked tirelessly to influence lawmakers, shape policies, and drive systemic reforms that enhance child safety, prevention, and well-being.
Representative Carver’s unwavering dedication to protecting children is exemplified by his leadership in authoring and passing Act 216, landmark legislation that strengthened the state’s mandated reporting laws. Thanks to his efforts, mandatory reporters now have clearer responsibilities, enhanced protections, and employers are prohibited from obstructing their legal duty to report suspected child abuse or neglect. His legislation also established critical safeguards to ensure school resource officers do not interfere with child protection investigations.
Beyond Act 216, Representative Carver has been instrumental in launching initiatives like Louisiana Fosters and Crossroads NOLA, which have provided countless foster and adoptive families with the tools and support they need to help children heal and thrive.
His work reflects an unwavering commitment to improving systems, influencing policy, and driving the legislative reforms needed to ensure the safety, well-being, and dignity of all children.
Presenting the inaugural APSAC Legislative Advocacy Award to Louisiana State Representative Kim Carver is Thomas Mitchell, LPC-S, NCC