Rotary Happenings: Guardian ad Litem volunteers look out for youths’ best interests
Just before the Thanksgiving holiday, the Sanibel-Captiva Rotary Club held its weekly meeting and welcomed guest speaker Roxanne Dyer, executive director of the Guardian ad Litem Foundation for the 20th Judicial Circuit – a non-profit agency advocating for abused and neglected children.
She reported that the foundation is a supporting partner serving the mission of Guardian ad Litem and supporting the Guardian ad Litem state mandate for at-risk children. The foundation shores up the health of the agency and fills financial gaps, as needed.
The foundation’s mission is to raise funds so every abused, neglected or abandoned child in Southwest Florida recognized by the court may be paired with a volunteer advocate, whose role is to represent the best interests of the child until a safe permanent placement can be achieved, and so every volunteer may access financial assistance and resources on behalf of the child not provided by any other sources.
The foundation raises funds and administers the following initiatives on behalf of the program for the 20th Judicial Circuit, which encompasses the five-county area:
– Recruitment, training and retention of Guardian ad Litem volunteer advocates
– Recruiting and screening of potential volunteers
– Training for the volunteers and volunteer retention activities
The foundation recruits, trains and supervises volunteer child advocates who represent the abused, neglected and abandoned children ranging in age from infant to 18 years old. A majority of the children served are from Lee County.
The foundation also provides recognition events, scholarships to extended learning activities, mileage for visiting children placed in rural areas and more, along with running a Kids Being Kids program that supplies the little extras for children and the Beds for Kids program.
“A Guardian ad Litem when appointed shall act as next friend of the child, investigator or evaluator, not as attorney or advocate but shall act in the child’s best interest. Guardian ad Litem shall have the powers, privileges, and responsibilities to the extent necessary to advance the best interest of the child,” according to Florida Statutes.
The foundation’s website states that the role of a volunteer advocate is to:
– Monitor the progress of a case until a safe permanent home is achieved
– Visit the child at least once a month to be sure he/she is safe
– Assess the service needs and opinions of the child
– Collect information from key people in the child’s life, including extended family, caregivers and teachers, to help guide recommendations
– Make recommendations to the court and case management providers regarding the best interests of the child
Guardian ad Litem volunteers are given training as to the tasks they perform for each of the children and families in the judicial dependency court. Volunteers have input with Guardian ad Litem guidance as to selection of children and families matched to them. The time commitment necessary to be a volunteer varies depending on the case. Normal time is between 8 to 10 hours a month. Problems families facing, such as drug addiction, mental health, joblessness and jailed parents, are what bring children to the attention of the dependency court.
The need for volunteers is constant; if you would like more information on how to become a Guardian ad Litem volunteer or make a donation to the foundation, visit online at voicesforkids.org,
For information about the Sanibel-Captiva Rotary Club, visit sanibelrotary.org or www.facebook.com/sancaprotary. The club meets every Friday at 7 a.m. at the Dunes Golf and Tennis Club, at 949 Sand Castle Road, Sanibel; visitors are welcome to attend.