Guardian ad Litem Office-4th Circuit Duval, Clay and Nassau

Mission:  To provide the most vulnerable children in Florida with an adult from their community who will be a consistent, positive presence in the child’s life as part of a multi-disciplinary team that may include trained volunteers, pro bono attorneys, staff attorneys, and child welfare professionals providing the highest quality community advocacy and legal representation to protect each child’s rights and best interests.  To provide dependency judges with thorough and accurate information regarding the children under the court’s jurisdiction.

The 4th Circuit Guardian ad Litem office will continue to be a powerful and effective voice in advocating for the best interests of Florida's abused abandoned and neglected children and be recognized and respected as a partnership of community advocates and professional staff. To the fullest extent possible, this vision will be realized through volunteers who will advocate as Guardians ad Litem for the children they serve. For more than 30 years, Guardian ad Litem office has served as the region’s exclusive advocate for children in the court system. Guardian ad Litem is the extension of CASA in FL, and our volunteer Guardians ad Litem are court-appointed special advocates whose sole job is to serve as the voice of the child — a voice that is separate from the child’s family members, foster care providers, attorneys or social workers. Guardians ad Litem make a profound impact on the children they serve and the communities those children call home. In addition to providing an estimated tax savings of $2 million on the First Coast alone, children with a Guardian ad Litem are: more likely to be adopted, half as likely to re-enter foster care, substantially less likely to spend time in long-term foster care, more likely to have a plan for permanency and have a better chance of performing well in school.

Volunteer Guardians ad Litem undergo comprehensive training to learn how to observe children, parents and foster families. Their objective recommendations are critical to a judge’s analysis and final ruling on the fate of a child. In 4 out of 5 cases, all or almost all of the recommendations made by a Guardian ad Litem are accepted by the court. The 4th Circuit Guardian ad Litem office provides all of the necessary training and program coordination for its local volunteers in the Duval, Clay, and Nassau counties. The Guardian ad Litem office is supported by the Guardian ad Litem Foundation of Florida’s First Coast, Inc. in its efforts to recruit and train volunteers, and to provide simple necessities that other families might take for granted — such as new shoes, clothing, and school supplies. The Foundation functions as a charity for children in the court systems of Jacksonville, FL and the surrounding areas. Every day, 1,900 children become victims of abuse or neglect in the United States. Guardian ad Litem office in the 4th Circuit is always in need of committed volunteers who are willing to be a voice of compassion and care on a child’s behalf. Guardian ad Litem Foundation of Florida’s First Coast helps ensure a brighter future for the children in our community’s court system.