History
The Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act of 1974 provided financial assistance to the states for programs which prevented, identified and treated child abuse and neglect. In 1980, the Florida Legislature appropriated funds to the Office of the State Courts Administrator to implement a pilot program that would examine the feasibility and effectiveness of a volunteer based program for the delivery of Guardian ad Litem services for abused and neglected children. As a result of the success of the pilot program, by 1990, all of Florida's twenty judicial circuits had volunteer-based programs for the delivery of Guardian ad Litem services that were administratively managed by the trial courts.
Specialties
The State of Florida's 19th Judicial Circuit Guardian ad Litem Program (GALP) specializes in advocating through the dedicated assistance of compassionate volunteers for the best interests of children who are alleged to be abused, neglected, or abandoned and who are involved in court proceedings in St. Lucie, Okeechobee, Indian River and Martin Counties.