To the Editor:
“The power of that one strong adult relationship is a key ingredient in resilience — a positive, adaptive response in the face of significant adversity.” — C. Elizabeth Dougherty, The Science of Resilience: Why Some Children Can Thrive Despite Adversity
As we approach the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, many of us have much to be thankful for. And often, before our Thanksgiving meal, we take time to verbalize why we are most thankful. Unfortunately, the most vulnerable among us will not be doing the same. In Florida, 30,312 children are no longer in their homes due to abuse or neglect by the very people who should be nurturing and protecting them. All these children are like your children or grandchildren. They need love, discipline, guidance, and to have their basic needs met.
Although the agencies comprising the child welfare system work hard to meet the needs of each child, the tools they have at their disposable are woefully inadequate to fix the situation. Years ago, a judge established the volunteer-based Guardian Ad Litem Program to train lay people to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children. In the Fifth Circuit (Sumter, Marion, Lake, Hernando, and Citrus counties) there are 2,224 children under court supervision as of October 2021, with 1,483 (79 percent) assigned to the Guardian ad Litem Program. Because we lack volunteers, 313 of those children assigned do not have an advocate, while the remaining 741 children are not in the program at all. Regrettably since the start of the COVID pandemic, the number of volunteer advocates has declined, while the number of children in the child welfare system has increased. In Sumter County alone, we have lost half our volunteers.
Rather than focus on the negatives this virus has caused, we can remember all our blessings by reaching out and giving back. The next time you hear about a horrific case involving a neglected or abused child, please remember that by volunteering you can be the difference needed for such a child. You can be that caring adult. Give thanks by volunteering. Please contact Diana Gissoni at (352) 812-6971 or [email protected] for more information. Visit www.guardianadlitem.org to learn more about the program and download an application.
Wanda Vogler
Village of Glenbrook