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Giving Children A Voice

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By SHERRI LONON IN THE LOOP

The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 14, 2009

At any given time, there are hundreds of Pasco County children who find themselves in the legal system due to abuse, neglect or abandonment. Removed from their homes through no fault of their own, they must navigate unsure territory without an advocate of their own.

Thanks to the Guardian ad Litem program, many of Pasco's youngsters do have a voice. The program matches trained volunteers with children in the system. Once matched, volunteers work on the child's behalf to make sure their needs are met and their best interests are represented. Volunteers advocate on the child's behalf, not the state's, not the parents', said Marco Sandusky, Pasco area coordinator for the program.

In abuse and neglect situations, "the state is represented, the parents are represented, but there is the child - left to navigate a system that is very (cumbersome)."

This is where the Guardian ad Litem program comes in. The nonprofit organization and its team of volunteers, lawyers and counselors often are assigned by the courts to work with children in the system. The No. 1 mission of a volunteer is to give a youngster a voice in the system, Sandusky said.

Although Pasco's program has about 140 active volunteers, roughly 400 children assigned to the program do not have a volunteer to work on their side. Guardian ad Litem's staff picks up the slack, but children often fare better when they have a dedicated adult to monitor their situations and speak on their behalf, Sandusky said. Volunteers have the advantage of working only with a single child if they so choose. This means they can dedicate their full attention to that youngster's needs and still receive support from the program's legal advisors and other trained professionals.

Considering the numbers of youngsters who do not have a volunteer, Sandusky said the need for more people is "huge." To bolster its number of volunteers, Guardian ad Litem will play host to a training program starting Jan. 31 at First United Methodist Church of Land O' Lakes, 6209 Land O' Lakes Blvd. The five-week program takes place on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. During training, volunteers are taught the basics they need to represent children and work with state agencies and the court system to advocate on behalf of their charges.

First United member Sally Semple has been a volunteer with the program for nearly two years. She said it is challenging, but very rewarding, as well.

"I just felt called to do it," Semple said. "I believe very strongly that our children must be protected. It's the responsibility of every adult to do that. Children don't have a voice."

Semple has taken on several cases since she completed her training. She even has a success story in the making. Through her efforts, she managed to get a toddler moved from one temporary home into a situation where her chances for permanent adoption were greater.

Making sure children are in safe, loving and stable environments is the aim of the program, said Sandusky. Providing youngsters with a chance for a permanent home also is a priority if parental ties have been severed.

"There is nothing more important for a child than to have the security of a family," said

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