by Norma Adams

(Norma Adams is a member of Humanists of Minnesota.)

Becoming a Guardian ad Litem for Juvenile Court in Hennepin County was one of the best decisions I made after retiring. I thought this type of volunteering was a way to do something productive with my time. However, it has turned out to be so much more.

Here is the official explanation for what a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) is: A GAL is a trained volunteer that advocates for abused and neglected children to ensure that their needs do not go unheard. Different from a legal guardian, Guardians ad Litem have no control over the person or property of the child and do not provide a home for the child. The Guardian ad Litem does not function as the child’s attorney and does not provide direct services to the child.

The term “ad litem” means “for the suit” or “for the court case”. It is an old concept –in the Anglo Saxon times, at common law, the king appointed a guardian ad litem to speak on behalf of the child or incompetent person. Today judges appoint community volunteers who have been trained as a GAL to advocate for abused and neglected children so that they can thrive in a safe, permanent home.

When the court is making decisions that will affect the child’s future, the child needs and deserves a spokesperson, an objective adult who can provide independent information about the best interests of the child. While other parties in the case are concerned about the child, the GAL is the only party whose sole concern is the best interest of the child and he or she is assigned as an advocate for the child for the duration of the court process.

When I accept a case, I visit with the child or children and then continue to stay in touch with them until the case is dismissed from the court. Many times my first contact with the child is at a shelter where they have been placed by the court. Later, they may be placed in a foster home or treatment center. Eventually they may be reunited with the family if the issues that caused the neglect or abuse have been addressed. If that didn’t happen, then the court will proceed to terminate parental rights and the child will be placed for adoption. During this time- usually about 18 months- I am the consistent person in the child’s life.

Along the way, I also make contact with the other people who are involved with the child such as social workers, therapists, biological parents, foster parents, teachers and others. I gather information and combine it with common sense as the basis for my reports about the best interests of the child. I give reports to the judge in court but also have a voice in various planning sessions with professionals.

I have gained so much from my experiences with these kids. To see their faces light up when they see me at court, listen to their stories of adventures in a new school, hear their sometimes unspoken fears and hopes for the future and to know that I am playing even a small part in helping them to find a safe, permanent home is very humbling. I am in awe of the resilience of the human spirit in these kids and am privileged to be a witness to it. It is not always easy and more than once I’ve literally kicked a wall in frustration (my walls are concrete). But then I walk it off and get back to the job at hand.

Here is the commercial: We need more Guardians ad Litem. There are about 3000 abused or neglected children who come before the court in Ramsey and Hennepin County every year. Most of these are children of color who are poor. They are caught up in a complicated court process and deserve to have an advocate who can speak up for their best interest. If you want to know more about becoming a GAL, contact the Guardian ad Litem program in the Fourth Judicial District in Hennepin County or Second Judicial District in Ramsey County. They will provide the training (about 40 hours), support and supervision.