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The Florida Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office exists to represent the legal interests of Florida’s most vulnerable children, the abused, abandoned and neglected. We are the only agency on the child’s case who focuses only on the child and represents the child’s legal interests in court and their social needs in the community. The Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office uses a multi-disciplinary team approach to represent children using a Guardian ad Litem Attorney, a child welfare professional, and hopefully a trained volunteer or pro bono attorney from the child’s community.

As a volunteer, you are responsible for gathering facts surrounding a child’s case, reviewing reports, finding out the child’s wants and desires, visiting a child’s home, school, or placement, and providing the court with an unbiased recommendation on what is required to serve the child’s best interests. The volunteer assists in providing the judge with the information needed and what the child wants, so the judge can decide what is in the child’s best interests.

To become a volunteer, you must attend one of our information sessions, complete an online application, pass a background check, provide three references, participate in an interview, and complete a free online training.

Do I have the qualifications needed to volunteer?

If you are concerned for the well-being of children and have a continuing commitment to advocate for a child until a safe and permanent home is obtained, you will be an effective Guardian ad Litem volunteer.

If you are objective and non-judgmental and can interact with people of various educational, economic, and ethnic backgrounds, you will be an effective Guardian ad Litem volunteer.

There is no degree requirement; all training is provided for free.