Anderson's Guardian ad Litem Program

The tragic death of a 7 year old child on November 28, 2008, and the subsequent arrest of his father, is a story that touches everyone. Nobody likes to think that child abuse is occurring in their own county, close to where we live and work. But the sad truth is that this problem cannot be ignored. In Anderson County alone, there were 85 new cases of child abuse and neglect filed in Family Court between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2008 according to the Department of Social Services.

When discussing child abuse, we sometimes feel as individuals that we are helpless to solve this problem. We think that it is up to legislators, social services, and “others” to stop this tragedy. But that is not the whole truth.

The South Carolina Volunteer Guardian ad Litem Program trains volunteers to act as advocates for abused children. Everyday people, like you and I, are trained to help children find safety and stability. We work one-on-one with the child, to learn what they want for their future, and then help to make that happen. We follow their school progress, listen to their problems, and talk to them about their hopes and fears. We are there in family court hearings, speaking up on behalf of these children, advocating against delays so that children do not linger in the system. We are the link between where they are, and where they want to be.

In Anderson County, there were 416 children in foster care as of June 30, 2007. These children will experience many changes during their time in foster care. They may move to different foster homes and foster parents, go to new schools, change case workers, and often lose contact with their friends and extended family members. The volunteer Guardian ad Litem stays with the child throughout the case, and is often the only person who has remained a constant in the child’s life.

Our focus is to learn about the child, and then to work towards finding the best way to keep that child safe and protected. That might be through assisting a family to find help for their problems and learning to parent and nurture their child. But when it is not possible to return a child safely to their family, we will work toward finding that child a home where he or she can be cared for, loved and protected.

According to the South Carolina Guardian ad Litem office, 46 Anderson County volunteers advocated for 123 abused children in November, 2008. Unfortunately, there are not enough trained volunteers to serve all the children within the system, and some children are turned away from the program. Our next training session starts January 12, 2009.
Individuals can and do make a difference in these children’s lives every day. It is very easy to be the person who says, “This is a terrible tragedy. Somebody should do something about it.” I challenge you to be the person who says, “I will do more than talk about this tragedy. I will be the one to stand up and make a difference for an abused child.”

Can you help us advocate for our children? Our next training begins Monday, January 12th?

Karen M. Mogab
Tenth Circuit Coordinator
Anderson County South Carolina Guardian ad Litem Program
864/225-2348 or GALAnderson@oepp.sc.gov or Anderson.scgal.org
January, 2009