Florida Frugal Family: Sunday Sharing: We should be {Frugal} with our Money but Never with our Hearts, Our Love or our Compassion for Others featuring the Guardian Ad Litem Program

This week on {Sunday Sharing} I want to feature the Guardian Ad Litem program. In Florida, there is a Guardian Ad Litem program that helps children that have some type of court involvement...very likely a great deal of involvement due to abuse, neglect or for being at risk.

In the past both my husband and myself have been Guardian Ad Litems. What is a Guardian Ad Litem? They are the eyes and ears of the court.. They advocate for the child....they are the voice of the children. If you are interested in volunteering (or even a paid position) with the Guardian Ad Litem program please visit guardianadlitem.org. (Please note if you do not live in Florida the program may be called the CASA program - Court Appointed Special Advocates...you can find more information HERE.)

There are still thousands of dependent children who have no voice in court...

As I take on the position of Executive Director of the Statewide Guardian ad Litem Program, I wonder how we can help more children? How we can provide a more stable future for children aging out of the Florida’s dependency system? How can we help children with their education? How we can keep families together? How we can provide a powerful voice on behalf of Florida’s dependent children? It is an overwhelming and critical responsibility.

Then I remember that, as with all difficulties in life, we cannot do it alone. In Florida, there are tens of thousands of children who have been abused, neglected or abandoned by the adult in their life and are a part of the dependency system. The Guardian ad Litem Program helps these children through volunteers – currently the Program has 7,000 volunteers who give a voice in court to thousands of children. But the need for more volunteers is great.

There are still thousands of dependent children who have no voice in court. Perhaps you could be the voice? Perhaps you are the volunteer that will ensure a child has visitation with her little brother; the volunteer that will ensure a child is progressing educationally, medically and emotionally; or the volunteer that will ensure that decisions made are in the child’s best interest.

Perhaps you are the volunteer that will make all the difference in one child’s life. Please join our dedicated group of volunteers and staff in helping provide a powerful voice for children in court – one voice at a time.
Sincerely,