By Vickie Rogers
Representatives from The Guardian ad Litem Program spoke at the Dillon Rotary Club meeting on Wednesday, June 19th at B&C Restaurant. Christy Vinson, Recruitment and Training Director spoke of the importance of volunteers for the program in Dillon County. The following is a summary of the key points made in Vinson’s speech:
The Guardian ad Litem program was founded in 1984, by Cass Elias McCarter.  Her vision was to protect the children of South Carolina through the advocacy of volunteer Guardians ad Litem.  The first program started in Marlboro County in August of 1984 and within five years the program was operational in every judicial circuit. Starting July 1, 2010, every child with an abuse or neglect case in South Carolina Family Court has been appointed a volunteer Guardian ad Litem to be their advocate.  In 2019, the Cass Elias McCarter Guardian ad Litem program became a division of the South Carolina Department of Children’s Advocacy. On average, the program serves more than 14,000 children per year.
The primary role of the volunteer Guardian ad litem is to represent the best interests of the child during family court proceedings. This requires each GAL to visit the child monthly to learn about the child’s wishes. They must also assess the child’s immediate safety and conduct interviews with others involved in the child’s life, including caseworkers, teachers, foster parents, and family members. The GAL then reports this information to the family court judge at scheduled hearings, along with a recommendation on the best course of action for the child. Judges respect GAL volunteers and take their recommendations into account when making decisions.
Currently the Dillon County GAL Program is serving 68 children, but there are only 9 volunteer GALs to assist. While GAL staff fill in the gaps, the need for more volunteers is urgent. “This is where people like each of you can help, our program is always looking for more dedicated individuals to go through our training process and become volunteer GALs,” stated Christy Vinson, recruitment and training director for the GAL Program.  She called the members of the Dillon County Rotary Club to action, if not through volunteering directly, then through assisting with recruitment efforts by sharing the need for more volunteers in the Dillon community.  “Your reach is far greater than mine, you will have contact with people I will never meet, please help us share the need for more volunteer GALs in your area.”
Volunteers should be at least 21 years old, have a clean criminal record, no previous DSS case history, and be able to contribute four to five hours a month of their time for a child. Free training is provided to all volunteers. There are only three training classes left this year.  The next class begins on September 3, 2024.
Visit gal.sc.gov for more information and to download an application. Follow @Cass Elias McCarter Guardian ad Litem Program on Facebook or contact communications@childadvocate.sc.gov to be added to the newsletter for updates and local events in your area.
Contact Brandi Johnson, regional recruiter and trainer for the GAL program, at (843) 731-7622 or Brandi Johnson@childadvocate.sc.gov for more information.