Time To Spare? Advocate for a Child in Court

A meeting to discuss why a person would choose to become a guardian at litem, and how to go about it, is scheduled to take place June 20 at in Brandon.

An announcement for the effort on Facebook aims to appeal to both the committed and the curious, with one responder asking: "What is Guardian ad Litem, sorry for my lack of knowledge."

"We are trained volunteers who speak up for abused, abandoned and neglected children," answered David Dibbs. "We look out for the best interests of a child, and become his [or] her advocate, both in the dependency court system and with community service providers."

Yvonne Marrone, volunteer recruiter for the Guardian ad Litem Program of Hillsborough County, noted that there are more than 3,000 children in Hillsborough County who need a Guardian ad Litem, "but due to a shortage of volunteers, 1,200 will go without someone to advocate for their best interests."

There are 21 local Guardian ad Litem programs in 20 judicial circuits in Florida, according to the Florida Guardian ad Litem Program website. The state program "is a network of professional staff and community advocates partnering to provide a strong voice in court and positive system change on behalf of Florida's abused and neglected children."

The program, as described further on the Web site for the Hillsborough County initiative, is for "volunteers, who are appointed by the court to advocate (speak up) for the best interest of a child who has been abused, neglected or abandoned." The majority of the children have been removed from their homes and placed with relatives or foster parents.

As for the commitment, "it only takes 12 and 15 hours per month to volunteer and 'Be the Voice' for a child," according to program officials. As the group's motto puts it: "Advocating for the child's best interest is our only interest."

• The June 20 meeting at Nativity Catholic Church in Brandon is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. The meeting, in the multipurpose room of the youth center, is at 705 East Brandon Blvd.

Additional meetings for the Guardian ad Litem Program of Hillsborough County (GAL) are set for 3 p.m. June 21 and 6 p.m. June 28, both at the GAL offices at 700 East Twiggs St. in Tampa, in Suite 750.

• For information, and to reserve a spot, call Yvonne Marrone, volunteer recruiter, at 813-307-3325.

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