The Guardian ad Litem Program had a swearing-in for volunteer child advocates in District 11 on October 9th in Johnston County. The volunteers completed the required 35 hours of advocate training and the Honorable District Court Judge Henry O. Willis administered the GAL Volunteer Oath.
Guardian ad Litem Volunteers advocate for children in the court system through no fault of their own. These are youth that have been alleged by the Department of Social Services to have been abused and/or neglected. To help these children move through the court system toward safe, permanent homes, the Guardian ad Litem Program (GAL) trains individual citizens to investigate and determine the needs of these youth. The GAL volunteer is provided support and supervision as they work to advocate for the child’s best interest in court alongside an attorney. Volunteers come from all walks of life and have a variety of educational, ethnic and professional backgrounds. Volunteers must submit an application, a screening interview, and a background check prior to training.
District 11 serves Harnett, Johnston, and Lee Counties and there are over 400 children in the District 11GAL Program. Each child needs an advocate to help them through this difficult time in their life. They need a voice to speak up for them. If you think this is something you’d like to do, please contact the Guardian ad Litem program at 910-814-4690 or 919-209-5550. The next GAL Advocate training begins October 24, 2019. To help or for more information about the program visit www.volunteerforgal.org
