The Florida Guardian ad Litem Program is a partnership of community advocates and professional staff providing a powerful voice on behalf of Florida's abused and neglected children. Become a vital part of the advocacy team and discover how you can make a difference in a child's life.
Thousands of abused and neglected children become the subject of judicial proceedings each year in Florida. Their voices are often unheard, and best interests overlooked in the complicated and overburdened dependency court process. Guardians ad Litem are citizens who volunteer to become part of a court program to represent the best interests of an assigned child or sibling group. The volunteer Guardian ad Litem is a representative for the child before the court, social service agencies and the community.
As of April 2009, there were about 7,000 Guardian ad Litem Program volunteers in Florida representing approximately 27,000 children. In the 8th Circuit, there are currently approximately 550 children in the dependency court system.