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April 14, 2008 | Vol. XI, Issue 29 Center for Governmental Responsibility Fellows
You can pick up a paper or watch a news program in any city in this country and see reports of terrible crimes that are being committed against children. Innocent children being raped, beaten, abused, or neglected by their parents—the ones that were supposed to protect them. Most people will probably mumble, "That’s such a shame," and go on with their daily lives. Some people will hear the stories these children have to go through and say, "How can I help them?" I am one of those people that chose to help these children by working with the Florida Guardian ad Litem program (nationally known as the CASA program). The Guardian ad Litem program helps to represent children who have been abandoned, neglected, or abused in dependency cases. Volunteer guardians go visit the children in their foster care placements once a month to make sure that they are taken care of and getting the emotional and physical support they need. Then the guardians take this information back to the court and give recommendations regarding what is in the best interest of the child. Through the Public Interest Law Fellowship sponsored by the Florida Bar Foundation, I was afforded the opportunity to serve as a volunteer Guardian and work hand and hand with the attorneys to help the children of Alachua County. When I tell people that I am a volunteer Guardian, the reaction I hear the most is, "I don’t know how you can do it." I simply reply, "If I didn’t attempt to help at least one child, then who will?" My first case involved a baby, James*, who was only a few months old when his mother, Karen, made the decision that drugs were more important than him. Karen’s decision to choose drugs landed her a spot in prison, where she will spend the next three years. Luckily, Karen had loving grandparents who decided to step up and take this child into their home while Karen was in prison. Suddenly, an elderly couple and great-grandparents became caregivers of a four month old baby. Over the past eight months, this family has watched this little boy grow and eagerly waits for Karen to be released from prison so she can begin her life with her son. Hopefully, it will turn out to be a happy ending for this family. However, for many children, the dream of being reunited with their parents may never come true. They may have to go through therapy for years, have physical scars left on their bodies, be moved to three or four foster care facilities, or may not have family who is willing and able to care for them. For those children, it is even more important to have a caring and constant person in their life, that person is their Guardian ad Litem. These children depend on their Guardian to be the one constant thing in their ever changing world. This program has become very dear to me not because I care for children and their well-being but because I feel it is my duty to be a role model for young people, especially minority children. There is a need for African-American and Hispanic-American men and women to volunteer as Guardians. African-American children, in particular, are overrepresented in the child welfare system; they represent only 15 percent of the total US population but make up 35 percent of the children in foster care. Of all CASA volunteers across the nation, only 12 percent are African-American and less than 20 percent of the volunteers are men. Most of the minority children in foster care are typically parented by women, have female social workers, and female Guardian ad Litems. Often these young men do not have positive male role models in their lives and I believe that they would benefit from having one. The Florida Guardian ad Litem Program and the National Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) are always in need of volunteers. In order to be a Guardian in Florida, you have to go through 40 hours of training and volunteer as little as two to three hours a month. To find out more information about how you can make a difference in a child’s life, please visit the Florida Guardian ad Litem program’s Web site at www.guardianadlitem.org. If you know someone who would like to participate in the program or would like further information, you can also visit the National CASA Web site at www.nationalcasa.org. * Names were changed to protect privacy. Florida Bar Foundation Public Interest Law Fellows are funded by the Florida Bar Foundation Home | Email to a friend | Print article | Contact FlaLaw Online |
Volunteering with Guardian ad Litem