COMMUNITY:
Guardian Ad Litem
Morgan Pristupa
University of North Florida
December 5, 2014
Introduction
To begin with, the Guardian ad Litem community is international. Several places around the world have created Guardian ad Litem programs. For the purposes of this paper, I am focusing on the 21 local Guardian ad Litem programs in Florida’s judicial circuits. According to Guardianadlitem.org (2014), the Florida Guardian ad Litem program “advocates a strong voice in court . . . on behalf of Florida’s abused and neglected children.” The network that partners together to help these children is compromised of “federal, state and local government agencies, non-profit and faith-based organizations, private …show more content…
Most guardians ad litem (GALs) are attorneys, social workers, or therapist according to Mabry (2013). The volunteers work with parents and human services to develop a plan that best suits the child according to Siegel (2012). The diversity within the program is high since volunteers come from all walks of life, multiple people work within the system, and the children come from all around.
According to Siegel (2012), the program began after the Lassiter v. Department of Social Services 1981 and Santosky v. Kramer 1982 cases when “the U.S. Supreme Court recognized the child’s right to be free from parental …show more content…
He claims, gaudian ad litem members overestimate the children’s knowledge of court proceedings and systems.
Another issue to settle the child’s wishes with the professional opinion of the guardian ad litem volunteers according to Head (1998).
Furthermore, Harvey (2008), speaks of a time-space compression where technology advances have accelerated human communication. This growth in communication may interfere with the court case. It may allow for more evidence to surface, rumors to spread in media, and for more opinions to be placed about the case.
Conclusion
Human diversity has shaped this community by allowing different types of people to volunteer as a guardian ad litem. Since a variety of people can become members, there is differences of opinions and methods, but every member shares the same goal: helping the child and advocating the child’s voice.
The cultural phenomenon of children being neglected helped create the Gaurdian as Litem programs. The children movements allowed for such a program to
Guardian Ad Litem
Morgan Pristupa
University of North Florida
December 5, 2014
Introduction
To begin with, the Guardian ad Litem community is international. Several places around the world have created Guardian ad Litem programs. For the purposes of this paper, I am focusing on the 21 local Guardian ad Litem programs in Florida’s judicial circuits. According to Guardianadlitem.org (2014), the Florida Guardian ad Litem program “advocates a strong voice in court . . . on behalf of Florida’s abused and neglected children.” The network that partners together to help these children is compromised of “federal, state and local government agencies, non-profit and faith-based organizations, private …show more content…
Most guardians ad litem (GALs) are attorneys, social workers, or therapist according to Mabry (2013). The volunteers work with parents and human services to develop a plan that best suits the child according to Siegel (2012). The diversity within the program is high since volunteers come from all walks of life, multiple people work within the system, and the children come from all around.
According to Siegel (2012), the program began after the Lassiter v. Department of Social Services 1981 and Santosky v. Kramer 1982 cases when “the U.S. Supreme Court recognized the child’s right to be free from parental …show more content…
He claims, gaudian ad litem members overestimate the children’s knowledge of court proceedings and systems.
Another issue to settle the child’s wishes with the professional opinion of the guardian ad litem volunteers according to Head (1998).
Furthermore, Harvey (2008), speaks of a time-space compression where technology advances have accelerated human communication. This growth in communication may interfere with the court case. It may allow for more evidence to surface, rumors to spread in media, and for more opinions to be placed about the case.
Conclusion
Human diversity has shaped this community by allowing different types of people to volunteer as a guardian ad litem. Since a variety of people can become members, there is differences of opinions and methods, but every member shares the same goal: helping the child and advocating the child’s voice.
The cultural phenomenon of children being neglected helped create the Gaurdian as Litem programs. The children movements allowed for such a program to