Guardians ad litem-representing the best interests of Florida's children.

• Author: Johnson, Kelly Overstreet
• Position: President's Page

It can be frightening and confusing when abused or neglected children become involved in court proceedings. They become immersed in a process they know little or nothing about, yet the implications can affect their lives for years to come. Without someone to look out for their best interests--someone who knows how to navigate the complexities of the system--many, no doubt, would be inadvertently run over by the wheels of a justice system set up to assist them.

It is the dedication of Florida's volunteer guardians ad litem who prevent that from happening. GALs play a central role in our justice system by advocating for the best interests of these children. They lead by example and the service they provide makes our communities better places for all of us. Guardians ad litem provide the strength and objectivity to assist these vulnerable children during their most difficult times and advocate for preservation of the child's physical safety and emotional well-being; a permanent placement in a stable and nurturing home environment that fosters the child's healthy growth and development; and protection from further harm during the child's involvement in the court system.

Florida's GAL program was established in 1980 as a court program to help children who become involved in court proceedings. These children are totally dependent on the adults around them to make decisions that may affect their entire life. Giving all children their own advocate to look out for them and to inform the judge of their needs is the primary goal of the program.

Each of the 20 programs employ guardian ad litem staff that recruits, trains, and supervises volunteer GALs. These volunteers visit with the children and their families and assume the role of advocate for the child, providing the court with information and working with GAL program attorneys to represent the child's best interests in court.

In 2003, Gov. Jeb Bush and others successfully advocated legislation to better coordinate activities among the courts, the Department of Children and Families, the guardian ad litem staff, and local communities. Legislation that year provided for the transfer of the GAL program to the Justice Administrative Commission and provided for the appointment of a fulltime executive director to oversee the program statewide. That executive director, Angela Orkin, works to provide technical assistance to all the programs and is now developing statewide performance measures and...