I meet so many people throughout my day that need help. Let's face it, no one calls a lawyer when they are having a good day. I try to help as many as I can, but one of my passions is juvenile law and children that need help. I have been a Guardian ad Litem volunteer off and on since 1998. Right now, there are hundreds of kids in Pinellas and Pasco Counties who need GAL's (Click here for 6th Judicial Circuit GAL website)
What is a Guardian ad Litem? Simply stated: A Guardian ad Litem is appointed by the Court to look out for the best interest of a child who has been taken from their home because of abuse or neglect. It is the specific job of the Guardian ad Litem to look out for the child. This doesn't mean that the child lives with you, or that you have guardianship over the child. But in dependency cases (which are what abuse and neglect cases are called), the parents each have a lawyer, the Department of Children and Families have a position, and the State Attorney has a position. All of them, because they are adults, are able to be heard. However, their positions are not always what the child wants or what the child needs. So the Guardian ad Litem talks to the child, the parents, the case workers, the teachers, the doctors, the realitives, the foster parents, and anyone else involved in the child's life and makes a reccomendation to the Court as to what they feel is in the best interest of the child. Because of the confidentiality, I can not give you specific examples of the cases I have handled, but I can tell you that when I have had a recommendation that is different from any of the other parties, the judge listens.
We've all heard stories about children who get "lost in the shuffle" of the "system". Take for example, the case of a 17 year old girl in Tampa who was left to live alone in an apartment with her new baby. She had an abusive boyfriend who was a regular visitor, whom the Department of Children and Families did not do a proper background check on. The boyfriend snuck into her apartment, beat her up, and took off with her baby. The baby was later found on the side of the highway. He had been thrown from a car window. DCF only has to visit weekly and sometimes monthly. Who's watching out for these kids in the meantime?
Now, you may say - well that's the government for you. Or, how terrible, someone should have been watching out for the girl. Where were her parents? All of that is true. But really, it doesn't help anyone to complain or point fingers. How about taking some responsibility yourself and trying to make a change?
Becoming a Guardian ad Litem volunteer is a commitment. There is a training class, a background check, and it takes long, often thankless hours to investigate a case. But if you think it's for you - check out their website. Florida Guardian ad Litem Program
