BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
As far as Christmas traditions go, it’s hard to find many better than the one that provides gifts to the children (ages birth-18) represented by the Guardian ad Litem office in Starke.
Thanks to the generosity of local Department of Corrections staff and the coordination of the Florida Council on Crime and Delinquency-Chapter 5, approximately 150 children in Bradford, Union and Baker counties will receive presents this year. FCCD-Chapter 5 received donated gifts from Florida State Prison, Lawtey Correctional Institution, Union Correctional Institution, Reception and Medical Center and Baker Re-Entry Center.
First Presbyterian Church of Starke, as it does every year, also provided gifts.
Local Guardian ad Litem representatives said, “Some of them wouldn’t have Christmas if it wasn’t for the generosity of these people.”
It’s not just at Christmas that people in the community do something nice for children represented by Guardian ad Litem. First United Methodist Women of Starke provide each child with a gift card on his or her birthday.
Each of the state’s 22 judicial circuits has a Guardian ad Litem program, which exists to represent the best interests of children in the court system who’ve allegedly been abused or neglected.
Guardian ad Litem consists of volunteer advocates, who are assigned to a child in the program. They’re required to visit the child once a month.
Volunteer advocates talk to the child as well as his or her parents, other family members, teachers, guidance counselors, therapists and anyone else who’s a part of the child’s life to determine how the child is doing and what he or she is in need of in the present and the future. Advocates consolidate the information they collect and provide it to a judge, who reviews a case involving a child approximately every six months.
The Eighth Judicial Circuit program covers Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Gilchrist, Levy and Union counties.
To become a volunteer advocate, you must be at least 21, pass a Level 2 background check and participate in an interview. Strong writing and verbal skills are a plus, but advocates aren’t asked to meet any educational requirements.
Though case lengths vary, an advocate is asked to commit to at least one year of working with a child.
If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer advocate or want to learn more about Guardian ad Litem, please call 904-966-6237 or visit gal8circuit.org.
