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Guardian Ad Litem Program - 15th Judicial Circuit
A Court Appointed Special Advocate or "CASA", is also known as a "Guardian ad Litem" in many states including Florida. A Guardian ad Litem is a volunteer appointed by the judiciary system to advocate for a child embroiled in the Dependency court system. Most of these children have been removed from their homes because of alleged abuse, abandonment or neglect.
The volunteer advocates for the child's best interest. While cases vary in complexity, most cases require approximately 10 to 12 volunteer hours per month, with a little more time in the beginning.
In Palm Beach County, there are approximately 1700 children in the system at this time. Many of them come to the attention of the Department of Children and Families (DCF) due to:
The Guardian ad Litem program is a state-supported program consisting primarily of trained volunteers who give generously of their time to advocate for these vulnerable children in the dependency court system. Without a Guardian, the children themselves have no voice in the system regarding what will happen to them. Our volunteer Guardians do four main things:
As Investigators, the Guardians:
As Advocates, the Guardians:
For the reporting aspect of the role, Guardians:
For the Monitoring part of the role, Guardians:
No special legal skills or other background are needed - just good common sense and a desire to help abused and neglected children. Guardians are rewarded by knowing they've made a difference in each of the cases they've handled. Guardians make sure these children have a voice and a say in their future, and do whatever they can to make their lives better from this point forward.
To obtain more information, you can log onto the state Guardian ad Litem website at www.guardianadlitem.org or call 561-355-2773 in Palm Beach County or 954-831-6214 in Broward or 772-785-5804 in Martin County. Make a lasting difference in the life of a child: Become a Guardian!
We'll work with your schedule.
Palm Beach County Courthouse205 No Dixie Hwy, Ste 5.1130West Palm Beach, FL 33401
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