Today was my first day of training in becoming a Hillsborough County Guardian Ad Litem Volunteer. The program is based on a belief that every child has a right to a safe, permanent, loving home. Volunteers advocate for children who have been removed from their home as a result of neglect, abandonment or abuse. A voice is given to a child who would otherwise not have one. Together, with a program supervisor and program attorney, I will become familiar with the assigned child(ren’s) case and make recommendations to the court to help ensure a safe, stable and permanent home for the child.

Tonight we got a thorough crash course into Florida’s child welfare process and dependency court. Along with a TON of reading about the program and its standards of operation. We are going to embark into cultural diversity and understanding families next session. I learned quite a bit about Florida’s Foster Care Program and was introduced to the Heart Gallery of America. The Heart Gallery is a traveling photographic and audio exhibit created to find permanent homes for children in foster care.It has over 120 Heart Galleries across the United States designed to increase the number of adoptive families for children needing homes. You can find the local galleries in your state here.

The Florida Guardian Ad Litem Program is an extension of the national CASA Program. Both websites can help you learn more about how you can change the life of an abused or neglected child by becoming involved in your local program. Hillsborough County currently has 2700 children currently misplaced in the child welfare system and 1900 Guardian Ad Litem Volunteers. The volunteers are given a great opportunity to make a significant impact in the life of a child and it means so much to me to be a part of it. I’m hoping that this post will encourage at least one reader to check out the program and possibly volunteer.