THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 28, 1996 TAG: 9604250202
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 05 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARY ELLEN RIDDLE, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 96 lines
THEY ARE mouthpieces for the innocent. They are mediators in court. They gather sensitive and vital information on children's lives.
They are the Guardian ad Litem, and since 1993, these volunteers from seven northeastern North Carolina counties have worked closely with social workers and the legal system to find safe environments for abused children.
Cases that come to court in the Albemarle have already been tended to by county social services departments. The court intervenes as a last resort.
Once a juvenile petition has been filed for foster care, a Guardian ad Litem is appointed. The program is state supported and mandated.
Currently, 52 volunteers are working in the 1st District, covering Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Pasquotank and Perquimans counties.
Children ranging in age from birth to 18 who are victims of sexual, physical and emotional abuse and neglect need these intermediaries. But it's not an easy job.
Kathleen Foreman, a Guardian ad Litem program supervisor for the northeastern North Carolina district, came into the program two years ago as a volunteer.
Foreman holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from East Carolina University.
``I was looking for a way to get more information in the field,'' she said. ``Little did I know that this program was going to touch my heart as it did.''
It's easy for heart strings to get tangled up in the process after hearing about children who are beaten, molested, abandoned for days on end, given no food, baths or winter coats, while bugs take over the home filled with dirty dishes or human waste.
The 25 hours of training that guardians receive help prepare them for the emotional issues they encounter. But first, guardian applicants are carefully screened. A criminal check is done, followed by a personal interview.
Foreman says that candidates obviously must love children. Screeners also look for maturity and the ability to maintain confidentiality.
And if done correctly, the Guardian ad Litem process produces a broad perspective of children's lives that helps the guardian to be objective.
Objectivity is essential for the guardian to make judgments in the child's best interest, and it's one of the reasons the kids never stay with them.
``You would become so emotionally involved,'' Foreman said.
Guardians may represent a single child or several siblings. They interview counselors, social services folk, medical personnel and children's relatives. They talk with the children and their teachers.
The goal is to find out what is best for the children. Should they go live with a grandmother, stay in the home or be put into foster care?
All the information volunteers collect must be put together in a report, presented to the court with their recommendations. Cases can take a few months or last over a year.
Overall, Foreman estimates that Guardians can expect to average 10 to 15 volunteer hours per month.
Sarah Phillips, 23, of Elizabeth City, found out about the program from an Asheboro billboard. She finished her training in November.
``I liked that I was helping the court system as well as the child,'' she said.
Right now, the district's Guardian ad Litem system is working with nearly 70 children - which is about all the program can handle, Foreman said. The organization could use some help, she said.
You don't have to have a criminal justice background to apply. Guardian ad Litem volunteers are as diverse as the cases they represent. Age, sex and background vary, but all volunteers have an undeniable desire to help children.
Foreman travels all over the district working directly with volunteers. She works under district administrator Viola Spivey, who has held that position since 1988.
``I don't know of anyone who is more dedicated and who advocates more for children's rights than Viola Spivey,'' Foreman said. ``She is tireless.''
After training with Spivey, which includes meeting professionals in the social services and legal fields, volunteers step into the world of the abused child.
``I was a little bit afraid at first,'' said Phillips. ``So far, it's been a really good experience.''
``Volunteering in Guardian ad Litem is the one true way that anyone in the community can make a difference,'' Foreman said. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by MARY ELLEN RIDDLE
Kathleen Foreman, a Guardian ad Litem program supervisor, joined the
program two years ago as a volunteer.
Graphic
THE PROGRAM
The Guardian ad Litem program will hold training in Dare County
in October.
For more information, call the Elizabeth City office at 331-4755
or leave a message at the Dare County satellite number, 473-5979,
for more information.
by CNB