Join us today in giving kids a brighter future!
How We Got Started
Background
In 1983, the North Carolina General Assembly established the Office of Guardian ad Litem (GAL) Services as a division of the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts. Pursuant to G.S. 7B-601, when a petition alleging abuse or neglect of a juvenile is filed in district court, the judge appoints a volunteer Guardian ad Litem advocate and an attorney advocate to provide team representation to the child. All Guardian ad Litem advocates are trained, supervised, and supported by program staff in each county of the state. To learn more about becoming a Guardian ad Litem Volunteer in District 18, Orange/Chatham County, visit https://volunteerforgal.org/stores/district-18-satellite-office/
History
In the late 1980s, a small group of professionals working with the Guardian ad Litem program recognized the need for a funding arm of the program to supplement provision of material needs for kids represented by Guardian ad Litem volunteers and to provide support for the training of volunteers. In the fall of 1990, the Articles of Incorporation were filed and the Friends of Guardian ad Litem Orange/Chatham Counties (GAL Friends) was born. Since its inception, GAL Friends has given hundreds of childen in Orange and Chatham Counties the opportunity to go to summer camp, attend special classes or events, enroll in a sport, go to Disney World with their foster family, have a book collection, and more.
What We Do & Why We Do It
There is a growing number of children in Orange and Chatham counties, who find themselves, through no fault of their own, caught up in the legal system. When children are removed from their caregivers due to abuse or neglect, they are assigned a Guardian ad Litem volunteer, a person who will be their voice in court. The Guardian ad Litem is focused exclusively on the child. Other parties (parents, Department of Social Services) in the case have legal representation. So, why not the child, the most vulnerable of all? Volunteer Guardians are assigned to advocate in court for the best interests of the assigned child. When a child is removed from home, suddenly his or her life is turned upside down. GAL Friends, is behind the scenes, supporting the Guardian ad Litem volunteer and the child by providing things that will give back a little stability, fun, love, and hope to a child in need.