May 1, 2008 issue
Guardian ad Litem Celebrates 25 Years of Service
Story by Garrett Simmons
In recognition of the program’s 25-year anniversary, Governor Michael Easley proclaimed April as N.C. Guardian ad Litem Child Advocate Month. Since 1983, statewide volunteers have donated nearly 900,000 hours of service to children who have been abused and neglected.
Guardian ad Litem trains community volunteers appointed by a district court judge to conduct independent investigations of cases of child abuse and neglect. Investigations take place after a petition has been filed in the court system by the Department of Social Services. Ad Litem investigators determine the facts of an abuse or neglect case, the needs of the child and the resources needed to meet them. That information is then used as evidence during court and welfare proceedings.
The GAL program trains both paid and pro bono attorneys as part of its representation model, and partners volunteers with attorneys to represent abused or neglected children.
Program supervisor Valerie Daniels said the program’s effectiveness is due largely to this partnership. “Our number one priority is to protect and promote the best interests of the child,” she said. “We rely heavily on the support of local court judges and attorneys to move children out of the courtroom quickly and into a safe home.”
State surveys show that child abuse and neglect rates continue to climb. In 2007, there were 38,828 hearings for child abuse and neglect in North Carolina. During the same year, GAL provided legal representation to more than 17,000 abused and neglected children.
Currently in Watauga County, GAL volunteers serve 13 families and 24 individual children. Daniels said in the past, the county has had as many as 40 individual cases of abuse and neglect at one time. Because just 16 active GAL volunteers are in Watauga County, most of them cover multiple cases at once.
Daniels said that while the volunteers deserve high praises for their efforts, there is an obvious need for new volunteers. “They are the backbone of our program,” she said. “We need as many volunteers as we can get to give every child a voice.”
For more info about Guardian ad Litem, contact Valerie Daniels at 828-387-0786, or click to www.ncgal.org.
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