Guardian Ad Litem Essay, Research Paper

Guardian Ad LitemThe Guardian Ad Litem Program represents children who appear in thestate courts. These children have not committed any crime but are victims ofabuse, neglect or abandonment. The program is comprised of volunteers whorepresent children in the courts, making sure they do not become victims of thesystem . Each volunteer works with one or more children involved in the judicialsystem and social services agencies, becoming familiar with there lives, whilerepresenting the interest of each child before the court or social services agenciesinvolved. Specifically, a volunteer acts in the interest of each child in five differentcapacities. First, as an investigator, a guardian learns as much as possible aboutthe child background (i.e. school, church, friends, and any otherpeople/organizations that affect the child). As a monitor, a guardian makes suresocial services agencies, and any other organizations involved with the child aremeeting their responsibilities to the child. As a protector, a guardian preventsinsensitive questioning in the courts that is very often commonplace. As areporter, a guardian is a liaison between the child and the courts, presenting

written reports and recommendations to help act in the child s best interests. Finally, as aspokesperson, a guardian makes sure the child s wishes are heard and their bestinterests are presented to the courts and social services agencies involved with thechild. Qualifications to be a Guardian Ad Litem are: at least 19 years old; passscreenings with law enforcement agencies, the Abuse Registry, and Guardian AdLitem staff; and have a genuine concern for a child s welfare. No prior experienceis necessary as each volunteer goes through 48 hours of training, ranging fromjuvenile justice, child development, and child abuse and neglect. Professionalfull-time staff are also available for volunteers questions and concerns. Timecommitment will vary, depending on the child s needs and the volunteers ownschedule. Efforts are made to match a volunteer with time constraints with a childwho needs less representation. As lifestyles and family priorities change in oursociety, there is a growing demand for volunteers

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