One of the greatest opportunities a child can have is to be raised in a safe, caring foundation, surrounded by those they know they can trust.
According to the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), there are more than 400,000 children in the United States living in foster care — many without any understanding of what it is to have a permanent home.
Abuse and neglect are the primary reasons why youths are removed from their homes, and CASA is a nationwide organization which assists children through the court system to be placed in homes.
Guardian ad Litem is a child advocacy group, operating under the auspices of CASA, which offers services across the 20 judicial circuits of Florida.
Guardian ad Litem is made up of a team of volunteers, attorneys and child advocate managers whose sole purpose is tending to the needs of foster children.
Guardian ad Litem, of the Sixth Judicial Circuit, which covers both Pasco and Pinellas counties, was established in the early 1980s.
This year the circuit has the second highest rate of abused and neglected youth in and out of home care – with more than 2,000 reported cases.
Larnelle Scott and Mariela Ollsen both work for Guardian ad Litem in the Sixth Circuit.
While there are different factors for why the rate in this circuit is so high, both women attribute much of it to the rise in the opioid epidemic, which has also plagued the country at large.
With adult supervision hindered by drug use, it can lead to child neglect in a big way said Ollsen, circuit director for Guardian ad Litem.
That void can be filled by volunteers of the organization, who come from all walks of life. The volunteers check in on foster kids and establish a good rapport with them.
However, they first must go through a thorough training and vetting process to ensure they are suitable for the task.
A report of abuse, whether by a family member, teacher or the police, is relayed to an abuse hotline, which in turn gets the court system involved – then Guardian ad Litem is appointed.
The Sixth Circuit in Pasco County holds hearings at two courthouses, the one in Dade City and in New Port Richey.
Guardian ad Litem doesn’t have any say in whether a child is removed from the home or where they are placed, but they can make recommendations based on their case studies and interactions with the children.
While they are ultimately trying to provide security for those in foster care, sometimes the kids don’t see it from that perspective.
“Court can be a scary thing for kids,” explained Ollsen. “There’s a lot of trauma involved with the kid when you remove them. Even in a dysfunctional environment, for most of our kids, that dysfunction is their norm.”
This makes it all the more important for Guardian ad Litem volunteers to form trusting relationships with these children, offering counseling, as well as considering their academic and medical needs.
Once removed from home, children are placed in either a licensed foster home or group home, if there is no extended family with whom they can stay.
Scott and Ollsen said they would prefer that foster care be a last resort if a child can stay with someone who is not only trustworthy but a familiar face.
Ollsen acknowledged that the biggest reward for a Guardian ad Litem volunteer is when a child has found a sense of “permanency” – an environment that is stable and not constantly changing around them.
Educating the public on foster care is also something that Guardian ad Litem is committed to whether it be at Rotary Clubs, churches or schools.
“I do community information sessions a couple times a month in the libraries,” said Scott, who is a regular at both the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library and the Hugh Embry Branch Library.
Parents concerned about their child’s well-being sometimes reach out to her, as they know she will advocate for what is in their child’s best interest.
As the community outreach coordinator, Scott has become a familiar confidant in the children’s lives as they sometimes divulge their deepest feelings.
She affirmed that: “The foster home placement might change, the case manager may change, the schools might change, but the Guardian ad Litem is usually that one anchor that they know is going to be in their corner.”
If interested in becoming a volunteer, visit GuardianAdLitem.org.
Weekly information sessions are every Tuesday at the New Port Richey office at 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Dates for the monthly sessions at Land O’ Lakes Library and Hugh Embry Library can be found at HeroToAChild.org.
Want to help?
If interested in becoming a Guardian ad Litem volunteer, visit GuardianAdLitem.org.
Weekly information sessions are each Tuesday at the New Port Richey office at 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Dates for the monthly sessions at Land O’ Lakes Library and Hugh Embry Library can be found at HeroToAChild.org.
Published December 12, 2018
