Governor Proclaims Guardian ad Litem Child Advocate Month 2021

WHEREAS, the North Carolina Guardian ad Litem Program, celebrating more than 38 years of child advocacy, has a distinguished record of public service through the work of enhancing the quality of life for abused and neglected children petitioned in dependency court; and

WHEREAS, all 100 counties in North Carolina have a Guardian ad Litem program; and

WHEREAS, Guardian ad Litem volunteers come from a variety of professional, educational, and personal backgrounds, and act as advocates for abused and neglected children in the complicated and often unfamiliar court and child welfare systems; and

WHEREAS, the court appoints Guardian ad Litem advocates to serve as officers, helping to improve the quality of information presented to the court by acting as the court’s eyes and ears in the child’s life; and

WHEREAS, every child deserves a voice in court, but more than 2,250 children do not have a Guardian ad Litem volunteer; and

WHEREAS, abuse and neglect have long-term personal, economic, and social costs, hurting children today and impacting North Carolina’s future; and

WHEREAS, April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, an observance that reflects the purpose of Guardian ad Litem programs, which is to protect and defend children from harm and ensure that abused and neglected children are provided with the court-ordered services they need; and

WHEREAS, April is recognized annually in the United States as a time to honor the contributions of volunteers through National Volunteer Month, and more than 5,443 Guardian ad Litem child advocates donated more than 522,528 hours of service to the children in 2020; 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim April, 2021, as “GUARDIAN AD LITEM CHILD ADVOCATE MONTH” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.