We live in a fabulous mountain community blessed with an abundance of natural beauty and lifestyle opportunities. Ours is also a giving community, and there are plenty of worthy causes to choose from. One of the least publicized and perhaps most misunderstood needs involves helping children, who through no fault of their own, end up in the social services system.
Once a child is placed in the custody of the Buncombe County Health and Human Services Department because of neglect or abuse, the court appoints a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) to work with that child and report directly to the court. It is an incredibly important role because, unlike anyone else in the system, the Guardian ad Litem is an unpaid volunteer with only one purpose: to objectively evaluate the situation and report to the court at regular intervals what is “in the best interest” of that child. There is no other agenda. The court values that input.
The title of Guardian ad Litem may sound daunting, but there is no legal background needed. The volunteers doing this work come from all walks of life and a variety of backgrounds, mostly not legal. The common element needed is simply a willingness to work with these kids and others involved in their lives, such as the biological parent(s), teachers, therapists, social workers, foster parents and others. The GAL assigned to these cases stays involved until the case is concluded, so in a very real sense can be the single most consistent adult in their lives, as therapists, social workers and even foster parents may change over time…