Guardian Ad Litem

Florida has a Guardian Ad Litem program and the major flaw in the system is not enough volunteers. A Guardian Ad Litem ("GAL"), is a person who is appointed by the Court to advocate for what is best for a child, usually in the confines of a juvenile dependency proceeding. The GAL's job is to gather information concerning the allegations contained in a dependency petition, meet with all concerned parties, including the child and report this information to the court. The GAL is a person who is in a unique position to insure that a Judge will have all relevant information and facts before deciding what is best for a child's future. The people who lend their time to the GAL program do not get paid, which may be a reason for the shortage in volunteers. However, there are thousands of abused, neglected or abandoned children here in Florida, including Orange County, who need people to look out for them in the Court system.

If you would like to learn how you could become a Guardian Ad Litem in Orange County, Florida, go to the following: http://www.legalaidocba.org/ or http://www.guardianadlitem.org/partners_c2.asp