FEATURED ESSAYS 1. Guardian Ad Litem 2. Mysteries Of The Sphinx 3. THe Catcher In The Rye: Summary 4. The Little Black Boy 5. Dante's Inferno: The Guardians Of... 6. The Causes For Child Abuse 7. Autonomy As A Natural Occurenc 8. Sir William Wallace 9. Sir William Wallace 10. Hiarchy Of Angels 11. John Keats 12. Dragons 13. The Cages Of Maya Angelou 14. When Legends Die By Hal Borlan

Guardian Ad Litem


     The Guardian Ad Litem Program represents children who appear in the
state courts.  These children have not committed any crime but are victims
of abuse, neglect or abandonment.  The program is comprised of volunteers
who represent children in the courts, making sure they do not become
victims of "the system".  Each volunteer works with one or more children
involved in the judicial system and social services agencies, becoming
familiar with there lives, while representing the interest of each child
before the court or social services agencies involved. Specifically, a
volunteer acts in the interest of each child in five different capacities.
     First, as an investigator, a guardian learns as much as possible about
the child' background (i.e. school, church, friends, and any other
people/organizations that affect the child).  As a monitor, a guardian
makes sure social services agencies, and any other organizations involved
with the child are meeting their responsibilities to the child.  As a
protector, a guardian prevents insensitive questioning in the courts that
is very often commonplace.  As a reporter, a guardian is a liaison between
the child and the courts, presenting written reports and recommendations to
help act in the child's best interests. Finally, as a spokesperson, a
guardian makes sure the child's wishes are heard and their best interests
are presented to the courts and social services agencies involved with the
child. Qualifications to be a Guardian Ad Litem are: at least 19 years old;
pass screenings with law enforcement agencies, the Abuse Registry, and
Guardian Ad Litem staff; and have a genuine concern for a child's welfare. 
No prior experience is necessary as each volunteer goes through 48 hours of
training, ranging from juvenile justice, child development, and child abuse
and neglect. Professional full-time staff are also available for
volunteers' questions and concerns.  Time commitment will vary, depending
on the child's needs and the volunteers own schedule.  Efforts are made to
match a volunteer with time constraints with a child who needs less
representation.  As lifestyles and family priorities change in our society,
there is a growing demand for volunteers.