The Florida Guardian Ad Litem Program is composed of court appointed volunteers who advocate for the best interests of children who are abused, neglected and/or abandoned.
Contact: (352) 374-3656
Riley Ashmore (Volunteer Recruiter), 352-384-3167, riley.ashmore@gal.fl.gov
Irena Melvin (Training Coodinator), 352-548-3816, irena.melvin@gal.fl.gov
Address: 14 S. Main St., Suite A, Gainesville, FL, 32601
Who they are: Guardians ad Litem are volunteers who are court appointed to advocate for the best interests of children in the dependency court system. Volunteers get to know the child and their case. They monitor the case, collect information from all the parties involved in the case and make recommendations to the court to ensure that the child is in a caring, stable and safe environment.
What YOU can do to help: Volunteers attend court hearings on their case and visit the child they are assigned to at least once per month. They must complete visit reports, document pertinent information regarding the case, and write reports with their recommendations regarding the child’s best interest to the court.