Volunteer Child Advocate - Change a Child's Story

Save to Favorites

Everyday we see news stories about children taken from their homes due to abuse, neglect or abandonment. We assume there is a program or system that will take care of these children and make sure they are safe and well cared for. There is a story behind the story. It is of a six-year-old girl who has been moved to six different homes and three schools in two years, or the toddler separated from her brothers and sisters. These stories can have a better ending because of the trained Guardian ad Litem volunteers who work as part of a team consisting of a Child Advocate Manager, Attorney and Volunteer Mentor providing a powerful voice on behalf of these children. Guardian ad Litem (GAL) volunteers come for all walks of life. They are people who believe society has a fundamental obligation to these children and children have the right to be treated with dignity, to be safe and to thrive in a loving family. The GAL becomes a friend, mentor or that special someone who walks through the dependency journey with them. Guardians visit the children and gather information by speaking to their caregivers, parents, teachers, doctors and extended family members. The Guardian volunteer works with a team to make fact based recommendations to the court about what is in the best interest of the children. It only takes approximately 7 - 10 hours a month to make a difference in the life of a child. Online training, training webinars or in-person class is available and background screens are provided at no cost to the volunteer. Children in Polk, Highlands and Hardee County are waiting for you to help change their story.