Guardian ad Litem District 26

The mission of the Guardian ad Litem program is to provide trained community advocates to protect and to promote the best interests of abused and neglected children involved in the court system.

As the eyes and the ears of the court, the Guardian ad Litem volunteer researches and gathers important information focusing on the individual child.

GAL volunteers increase the likelihood that abused and neglected children will receive timely and appropriate resources. Studies have proven that abused and neglected children represented by Guardian ad Litem volunteers spend less time in foster care and are more likely to end up in safe and permanent homes. At this time, however, there are more than 700 children in the foster care system and nearly 160 still need to be assigned a volunteer.