There are as many different ways of healing as there are people. For me, it became important to take the past that hurt me and use it to create something better. Just as a child takes brightly colored LEGO blocks and transforms them into a picture of his imagination, I care a lot about moving my pain into something positive. It’s a way to connect with others, to challenge the lies of abuse and, ultimately, to prove that, despite all the evil in the world, love and kindness is stronger. It’s about truly believing that, while I cannot control everything that happened to me, I can control how I choose to react to any circumstance. Every decision I make is intentional: it’s about what — and who — I want others to see when they see me: do I want to point them to something greater, do I want them to believe hope exists, and do I want them to feel empowered? Since the answer to those questions, for me, is yes, this means I cannot shy away from trauma but, instead, dedicate my time and resources to proving to others that healing is real.

One of the ways I do this is by volunteering time as a certified Guardian ad Litem for the county in which I live. It is a wonderful program that is intended to both support overburdened case workers and, most importantly, act as the voice for children who might otherwise feel like they do not have one. It’s such an important program that I wanted to take time to respond to some questions I receive about the Guardian ad Litem (GAL) program and what it means to be one.

What is a Guardian ad Litem (GAL)?

In the simplest of terms, a GAL is part of a multi-disciplinary team made up of attorneys, child welfare professionals, and trained volunteers who represent the best interests of every child in the state’s dependency courts. In laymen’s terms: the Guardian ad Litem is someone who advocates for the abused, neglected or abandoned child who, through no fault of her own, is part of the state’s dependency courts.

Does the GAL work for the State?

While it varies from state to state, in Florida, the Guardian ad Litem office is funded by the State. When a child enters custody, a judge appoints the GAL office to represent the child’s interests. The office has nearly two hundred attorneys on staff, as well as hundreds more who provide services pro bono. In addition to the attorneys on staff, the Guardian ad Litem office is responsible for training caring volunteers in the community to serve on the team to represent the child. This volunteer person does not have to have any legal training or experience whatsoever: all training is provided. Volunteers come from every walk of life–retirees, men and women who are currently in the workforce, college students, etc.

What are the steps to volunteer? What kind of training is involved?

Depends on your state. In Florida, to become a certified GAL, you:

1. Fill out the application
2. Complete an interview
3. Attend an informational session (this is sometimes in person and sometimes virtual, depending on your county / state)
4. Complete a background check and fingerprinting.
5. Complete references check.
6. Complete training
   • Training might be virtual or in person depending on your office. Training is 30 hours initially and then 12 hours of recertification education annually. The recertification can be done through workshops, etc.
   • Initial training covers everything from interviewing skills, child welfare laws, trauma and abuse, cultural competence, how to write court reports, etc.
7. Once training, background, and reference checks are all completed, you are assigned a case and added to a team that includes a Child Advocate Manager (think of them as your supervisor), a Guardian ad Litem attorney and the child’s existing DHS case worker. You then have “live” training with a mentor.
   • This involves going through each step of a case with a more seasoned volunteer. This would include attending a court hearing, meeting the child, writing a report, etc. It’s a list of eight or nine things that you do with someone else. This ensures you’re not just “thrown in” but are guided each step of the way.

What are some examples of things you do as a GAL?

Once a judge has appointed me as the GAL, the first thing I do is read everything in the child’s file. Depending on where the case is when you are appointed, this could be very little or very extensive. It would include reading things like the Shelter order to learn what happened to cause the child to be taken into care, permanency hearings to learn what the current goal is for the child (reunification, adoption), health assessments of the child, etc. Once I’ve read everything and made notes of any questions I have, I then reach out to the school. The court order grants the GAL access to all records – medical, educational, everything – so I can speak with the child’s teachers, counselors, see their IEPs or educational background to understand what support, if any, may be needed at school.

Once I’m caught up on history, I am ready to meet the child. At the meeting, I take stock of their demeanor, their home environment, whether they need anything immediately, etc. Unless the child is an infant or toddler, I’d ask the child what they want to happen, and I notate that. I speak with the caregiver, whoever that might be.

GALs write court reports that are read by the judge: this is ultimately a recommendation. It includes the child’s expressed wishes and recommendations based on what the GAL thinks is in the best interest of the child (this may or may not be the same as the child’s wishes).

GALs attend all court hearings and help advocate for the child both inside and outside the courtroom. Many times, the GAL has access to more information than the DHS caseworker, so the GALs recommendation carries weight. It is made in conjunction with the Child Advocate Manager, attorneys and DHS caseworker.

How much time per month do you spend on the case?

This depends, a lot, on the Guardian ad Litem.

The GAL is required to visit the child at least once a month. If you’re only able to commit to the 5 hours a month, that’s at least one. Reading the court documents counts towards the commitment. Visiting the school or the child’s counselors counts. Attending court hearings counts. Logging your contact visit and anything else you do in the system via notes counts. So does writing the report to the judge. The minimum is not a lot. Most court appearances are pretty quick, and you are given ample notice of when the court appearances are so that you can plan ahead.

However, personally, I spend more like 10-15 hours a month. Some of this time is as simple as hearing from the child that they need school supplies and then contacting a community partner via phone or email to see if we can get those things donated. The more involved you become with the child and aware of their life circumstances, the better equipped you feel in making a recommendation to the court.

Do you have to supervise visitations with parents?

No. In fact, you’re not allowed to. If there is court-ordered supervised visitation, DHS is responsible for either supervising that visitation or appointing someone to do so. In some instances, a relative of the child can be that supervising person.

That being said, you do watch and report on interactions between the parents and the child (unless there’s a no-contact order, of course, that prevents visitation from happening at all). So, if there was supervised visitation ordered by the court, you might meet at a park. You would watch the child interact with the parent alongside whoever was supervising the visitation. You would then write notes about the visit and how it went. But you would not be the sole person there supervising a visit.

What do you do when meeting a child for the first time?

I come prepared with age-appropriate games. Crafts for younger kids, a deck of cards for the older ones. This helps break the ice and establish a rapport. I also am honest and upfront with the child. I tell them that I am there for them and that what they want matters. For teenagers, I will ask if they want to speak directly with the Guardian ad Litem attorney for questions about the case. I let them know that, while others may come and go from their case, I will remain the constant source of support until the case is resolved.

How long are you on one case?

This depends on a lot of things but, typically, a year is average.

Are you paid?

No. This is volunteer position. Now, some members of the GAL team are paid. For example, the GAL office does employ attorneys (they also have attorneys who volunteer their services pro bono). However, my role is a volunteer position.

Is GAL the same as CASA?

Similar. I started as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) but, FL has GALs instead. One difference is that CASAs only volunteer for abuse and neglect cases; GALs can be appointed to juvenile courts. So, let’s say I’m working on a case and the child does something that gets him into juvenile court. I would still be able to represent that child in BOTH the dependency AND juvenile courts (along with the team of attorneys, etc).

Is it worth it?

One thousand percent. This page has video testimonials from everyone on the team, including a child that benefitted from the program. GALs stand in the gap: they advocate for the child, making sure the child’s wishes are heard. The DHS caseworker is assigned to protect the child but also assist the caregiver in completing steps to reunify (if that’s the goal). The goal is to help the child feel like they have a voice, and they have a support person who they can rely on to help them through this. If their world breaks again, the GAL will still be there. I’ve helped find resources for a child to go to summer camp who otherwise would not have been able to do so, I’ve successfully advocated for siblings to be relocated so that they were together.

The legal system is not perfect. Sometimes it’s hard and it’s complicated and it’s messy and it doesn’t always work the way it is intended to. But, at its heart, are people who are trying to ensure that a child is not left in an abusive situation or a neglectful harm. Being part of a team advocating for the emotional and physical well-being of at-risk children who typically have high ACE (Adverse Child Experience) scores means I have the opportunity to catch something small before it becomes big and bring it up. You truly can make a difference in the life of a child during an emotional and stressful period – instead of waiting until the child is an adult who doesn’t have appropriate coping skills, this is an opportunity to change the direction of a child’s life at the most critical time.

I am a firm believer that it doesn’t take extravagance to change someone’s life. It doesn’t take gifts or money. It doesn’t even take a bunch of people. In the Bible, Abraham pleaded with God to spare a town from being demolished and, in the end, God agreed to spare the entire town for the sake of just one person. One person creates an impact on everyone he/she encounters. One person has the power to move a mountain that’s blocking someone else’s way to healing.

One stranger held a door open for me and that five second interaction made me think there might still be good men in the world.

One homeless man reminded me that it is possible to experience true joy even when you have the whole world against you, even when you don’t have a place to sleep.

I’ve had individual teachers whose belief in me catapulted me to a better place than where I was when I met them. A mentor who single handedly changed my life simply by telling me, “I wish I had been able to give you a hug before you left” and who made me think someone was genuinely glad to see me after a prolonged absence.

See, the thing is – children who are abused and neglected and abandoned hear, “You don’t matter as much to me as these drugs do,” “I don’t care what you want,” “You are never going to be anything,” “You’re not smart enough,” “You’re not good enough,” “you’re not pretty enough.” They’ve been told, “Your pain is insignificant.” They’ve been taught to believe that adults “don’t have time” for them. Messages like these are sometimes shouted at them, sometimes communicated through abuse, and sometimes they are very subtle. Every time no one showed up to watch a game or recital, these messages were conveyed. Every time they cried and it was downplayed or ignored, the messages lit up like neon signs. Every time teachers at school labeled them as “the problem kid” instead of seeing the potential, it reinforced the lies of abuse. The teacher who most changed my life heard me say, “I can’t do it,” and, instead of letting it slide, chastised me for me. Conversely, the math teacher I had that year never knew my name and, when I failed a test in his class, threw the paper on my desk and asked me if I’d studied at all. One’s angry, “The only reason you can’t do it is because you keep telling yourself you can’t, and I’m sick of it” was a refusal to let me continue to internalize the lies I’d been taught to believe. The math teacher’s disgusted, “Did you even try?” reinforced them.

My point?

If you believe in a child’s potential to overcome the pain they’ve been put in, you are enough. If you believe that a child’s behaviors do not define who that child is, you are plenty of enough. If you are willing to ask and listen to what a child wants to say, you are more than enough. If you are willing to see the whole child and passionately remain focused on advocating for what is best for that child, even when the system is messy and complicated and flawed, you are enough. If you’re willing to learn and ask questions and knock on the same door repeatedly until you get the assistance needed, then you are enough.
If you are willing to being the one person who doesn’t leave so that a child can see someone has time for her, then you are enough.

Notice I did not clarify any of those sentences with anything about your past. Your story matters, too, and your unique set of life experiences equips you to be the best advocate for a child who might not open up to anyone but you. Navigating corporate America, driving semi trucks, bartending every Friday and Saturday night, juggling college courses while working in retail, being a stay at home parent… any of these things just might have been the perfect training ground for you to learn skills needed to meet a child where she/he is.

It is 100% worth it.

Where can I sign up?

Depends on what state you’re in. Googling, “Guardian ad litem in (enter your state)” is a good place to start. If you happen to live in Florida, this link has tons of information including a section to sign up. If you live in Tennessee, CASA (which is very similar) can be found here. I’ve volunteered with both CASA and GAL in FL and would be happy to answer any questions you might have. You can contact me directly here.