Seminole County in Desperate Need of Guardian Ad Litem Volunteers!

From the Seminole Chronicle -

Guardian program low on help after state cuts
By Abraham AborayaAugust 19, 2009

SEMINOLE COUNTY - The volunteer organization that represents abused, neglected or abandoned children in court is looking for more volunteers in the county.
The Guardian ad Litem program emerged from the state's budget cycle with a $2.81 million cut, which, while significant, was far less than the Florida House of Representative's proposed $7.6 million.
But the cuts caused a shift in volunteers, leaving a hole that needs to be filled with 80 volunteers in total, and 40 for a training session that starts in October.
"We really need volunteers for the program desperately," said Patricia Williams, the recruiter for the guardian program. "We could easily use another 50 or 75 volunteers (in Seminole County alone). Our state government was very good and gave us as minimal a cut as possible."
A Guardian ad Litem is a person appointed by the court to represent the interests of a single person. In Florida, the guardians can sometimes be the voice of a group of children pulled from a home during an abuse, abandonment or neglect case.
The guardian takes the time to get to know what the child's interests are, and often interviews the family of the children, as well as doctors, educators and anyone else that touches the child's life.
Volunteers get about 30 hours of training before they begin work. In Florida, to volunteer you need to be 19 years old, not have a felony record and be able to produce references.
"We need someone who cares about children, who has a little bit of time, only about 10 hours a month, and the big one is the common sense requirement," Williams said. "So you have the state's requirements and then you have [my] requirements."
Statewide, as of June, there are 31,000 kids under court supervision, and 26,800 are represented by a Guardian ad Litem. In Seminole County as of July 1, there were 440 children needing guardians, and 145 volunteers in the program.
The program got a $3.8 million cut, although the cut was dampened this year by a $1 million, non-recurring boost. That means that there will be an additional $1 million coming from the budget the following year.
The cuts ultimately led to 50 positions lost statewide. Less staff means the program is depending more now on volunteers to fill in the gap.
"That was the result, unfortunately," said Deborah Moore, the public information officer for the guardian program. "It wasn't as severe as we thought it would be. We were concerned that it was going to be a much larger cut."
Williams knows first hand about the volunteering. She started working for the guardian program six years ago in Brevard County as a volunteer.
"It just was an eye-opening realization that that was going on in my own area, and I was totally unaware," Williams said. "I never had any idea the extent of what the situation is for our children.
"And it's a wonderful opportunity. It's life changing for the children. You get to improve that child's life. How many volunteer opportunities can you have that effect on generations to come?"
Valentina Jolta, 29, of Casselberry, became certified as a Guardian ad Litem in 2004 while she was getting her undergraduate degree from the University of Florida. A representative from the program spoke during one of her psychology classes.
"Just hearing the need to find safe, permanent homes and knowing that I could make a difference really attracted me to the volunteer opportunity," Jolta said.
Jolta said volunteering as a guardian has been very rewarding for her.
"I would recommend it to anyone who desires to help children, that wants to make a difference," Jolta said. "I would advocate for anyone in college to have this experience, or anyone who has an interest in law, or anyone who has the love and support able to give to a child. It's a unique opportunity, and it's a very professional program.
"I just think it's a very rewarding experience. It gives a lot of personal satisfaction."
Jolta, a certified school psychologist who is employed as an educational liaison, said that working with abused children can take an emotional toll, especially if you get attached.
"I think just knowing you're making a difference is helpful, and I'm very positive," she said. "I don't think it's ever affected me negatively."

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