florida

Guardian ad Litem

Guardians ad litem (GAL) are lay and attorney volunteers appointed to protect abused, neglected and abandoned children. Our courts rely on them to advise what is in the children's best interests. In Orange County you have to be an attorney. However, in the rest of state of Florida you do not have to be an attorney. There is a program that trains and supports volunteers to visit the children, relatives, schools and doctors and report to the court how to protect and nurture these vulnerable children. A GAL establishes an ongoing relationship with a child (or group of siblings) and conducts a thorough investigation to determine what recommendations to make on the child's behalf in court. The GAL helps advocate for medical, mental health, educational or economic services needed to bring stability and wholeness to the child's life, and acts as a monitor to see if court orders are carried out in a timely fashion.

GALs become a thread of continuity in the lives of children faced with a bewildering, impersonal and too often drawn-out judicial process. They provide an important impartial voice to ensure that the child's best interests are constantly before the court and the agencies entrusted to make decisions about their welfare.

More than 32,000 children in Florida are abused, abandoned and neglected and even with approximately 7,000 volunteers more than 5,000 of those children do not have a Guardian ad Litem.

In Orange County please go to www.legalaidocba.org to see how you can help as a volunteer or with a donation.

Outside of out Orange County, please visit www.guardianadlitem.org to see how you can help change the life of a child. You won't regret it.