Circuit Director     

We must accept finite disappointment,

but never lose infinite hope.  

Martin Luther King, Jr.

With the new year come new changes and new challenges.  As a program we will continue to grow and learn from the challenges and continue to celebrate the successes.  None of this is possible without all of you.  From the volunteers, donors and staff we all work together to improve our system of care and the lives of the children we serve. Thank you!   

Remember to visit our state website   guardianadlitem.org

for new programs and opportunities for our volunteers and children.  Many of you are aware of the I am for the child Academy on the state website.  Check it out when you have a few minutes.  You will find courses on subjects we deal with everyday such as educational issues, immigration issues some of our kids face, incarcerated parents and psychotropic medication.  

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Thank you Pasco Guardian ad Litem Ruth Daley, who posted this above flyer at her job!  A little effort may reap big benefits for the children we serve. We appreciate all our volunteers who help get the word out. 

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Go The Extra Mile!

There is a great new opportunity for volunteers who drive at least 25 miles round trip to visit a child, or other specific purposes, to apply for travel reimbursement!  Details of this program, forms and a brochure can be located on the Fl. Guardian ad Litem website.    http://guardianadlitem.org/    To go directly to the program click  HERE.   If you have any questions, please reach out to your Child Advocacy Manager.  

Children in Dependency	2851  (> )
Of those without a GAL	1071 (>)
Case Volunteers	906 (> )
Transportation Approved Volunteers	308 (> )

Guardian ad Litem Tips for Providing Effective Testimony

Guardian ad Litem volunteers and staff are frequently called to testify at hearings and trials. The following are some tips to assist you when providing the court with testimony to support our position for what is in the children's best interests. 

1. Listen to the question and only answer the question that is asked. Never volunteer information. This includes to the Guardian ad Litem Best Interest Attorney, but it also includes to the parents' and State Attorney. It is the other lawyers' roles to try and obtain information. The more information you give, the more you increase the likelihood that you give information that could affect the outcome in a case in a way that you may not like. In addition, you "open the door" to longer cross examination if you volunteer information to the Best Interest Attorney. Brief and concise answers are best. If the Best Interest Attorney wants more information from you, that attorney will ask follow up questions to your brief response.

2. If you don't know the answer, "I don't know" is a perfectly good answer. Never guess, never speculate, and never go on a gut feeling. Your job as a fact witness is to testify based on your personal knowledge. That means something that you have direct firsthand knowledge about the question being asked. 

3. If you don't understand a question, ask for the questioner to rephrase it. If asked a question at a hearing or in trial, and you provide an answer, it is presumed you understood the question. If you are confused in any way about what is being asked, or if you did not hear the entire question, asking that the question be rephrased (or repeated) is perfectly acceptable to do as a witness.

4. Never interrupt the question, and don't be in a hurry to answer. Always allow the person asking the question to finish asking the question completely before giving an answer. There is also no problem in taking your time before answering. Think through your answer. In addition, if there is an objection by counsel, do not provide any answer until the judge rules on that objection.

5. Listen to your attorney. This obviously applies during your attorney's questioning, but it also applies during another attorney's questioning of you. During any questioning, you cannot confer with the Guardian ad Litem Best Interest Attorney before answering. However, your attorney may object to a question and in that objection, information may be gleaned that could be helpful in fully understanding the question.

6. Stay calm. Often times a witness is nervous to testify at a trial or hearing. And opposing counsel may ask questions that seem to play on a witnesses' potential nervousness. Take a moment and breathe. Don't let an opposing counsel's attempted theatrics affect you. If you feel like things are going bad, don't worry about it. They are probably not as bad as you think. In addition, there is nothing to be accomplished by becoming nervous or upset.

7. Always tell the truth. You are testifying under oath. Any attempt at exaggerating, misrepresenting, or stating things that are not true can, and likely will, affect credibility.

8. Be proud of your role! The Guardian ad Litem is the only party in court that is truly there to represent the best interest of a child. That is an awesome thing! Very often, the Guardian ad Litem volunteer is the only person who has been by that child's side through the entire dependency case. Take pride in the fact that you are there to be that child's voice. Although hearings may not always have the results that we wanted, the child knows that their voice is important and you are providing that to the court. At the end of the day, that fact alone will mean something to that child regardless of the results of the hearing.

Submitted by, 
Dean Zona, Esquire 
Senior Child's Best Interest Attorney
New Port Richey Office

 (originally published October 2017)

Click  Here to Register

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Saturday, March 9th: I Am For The Child: Taste of Pasco 1pm - 4pm

Join us for a fun filled evening with food, music and fine wine. Delight in the gourmet tastes from many amazing restaurants. Hear inspiring stories from families involved in the Guardian ad Litem Program. Help lift up the voice of a child-learn more about the work volunteer advocates do every day to protect abused, abandoned or neglected children in Pasco County.    Pre-registration is preferred but walk-ins will be accommodated. Tickets are $25/ person. Sponsorships are also available. All proceeds go to support children in foster care in Pasco County. Learn More Here