courtesy Guardian Ad Litem
GIVERS
ADVOCATES for OTHERS by HAMPTON WILLIAMS HOFER
E
ach year, more than 18,000 children in North Carolina attend family court hearings regarding their own abuse or neglect. Thanks to the Guardian ad Litem Program, these children sit at the table next to an adult whose only role in that courtroom is to serve as their advocate. For 35 years, the Guardian ad Litem program in North Carolina has provided trained community volunteers who are appointed by the court to represent abused and neglected children, and to work toward getting those children into safe, forever homes. “Children are less likely to return to foster care, and are more likely to graduate from school and achieve permanency when they have that one constant person supporting them through this journey,” says Christina Harrison, NC GAL's Assistant Administrator. Guardians ad Litem (meaning “guard-
ians for the case”) provide that consistent support. The state’s GALs come from all different cultures, backgrounds, and professions, with no experience necessary, and are united by a desire to be a voice for
some of their communities’ most vulnerable children. In North Carolina, these volunteers are 5,300 strong. GALs are supervised by specialists, and partner with attorney advocates who protect the legal rights of clients. These volunteers save the state around $11 million annually, but the program’s positive impact extends far beyond frugality: It’s a chance for community members to activate real change by empowering a child in need. “The children know I’m not paid, that I’m doing this only because I care about them. They can tell me anything, and I will be their voice,” says Sally White, who has spent a decade as a GAL in Raleigh. Like Wake County’s other 500 volunteers, White underwent an interview process, several weeks of training, and was sworn in before a judge. When a petition of abuse or neglect is filed by the Department of Social Services,
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