Guardian Ad Litem Resources

The mission of the State of Florida Guardian Ad Litem Program (GAL) is to advocate for the best interests of children who are alleged to be abused, neglected or abandoned and who are involved in court proceedings.

What is a Volunteer Guardian Ad Litem (GAL)?

Guardians ad Litem are citizens who volunteer to become part of a court program to represent the best interests of abused and neglected children who are the subject of court proceedings. The Guardian ad Litem is a representative for the child before the court, social service agencies and the community. Guardians ad Litem are trained and supervised by program staff. The age of the children range form 0-18 years old. The average amount of time spent is 6-8 hours a month, depending on the case.

Who can be a Guardian ad Litem?

Any person who has common sense, good judgment and good character, who CARES and is able to give TIME to help a child. The certification process includes completing a written application, background screening, reference checks, personal interview and 30 hours of training.

Guardians ad Litem assume the following responsibilities:

• Visit the child regularly (minimum of every 30 days)
• Gathering information by interviewing the child or children and others who have information about the child and the child's circumstances
• Recommending appropriate medical, education, social, and psychological services for the child
• Making recommendations as to the most appropriate placement for the child
• Monitoring the agencies and individuals providing services and caring for the child
• Appearing in court to make recommendations and informing the judge of relevant facts about the case
• Providing written reports to the judge, including the wishes of the child
• Safeguarding children's rights to a safe permanent home in a timely manner

If this sounds like something you can do, please contact Tami Dodd at (813) 272-5110 or Tami.Dodd@gal.fl.gov

Fill out our On-Line Application to become a Guardian! Click here to begin.

To read our frequently asked questions, click here.

We also have books available in our libary for check out. Please contact Tami Dodd for more information.

Helpful Forms and Documents