Governor Proclaims Guardian ad Litem Advocate Month

Guardian ad Litem Advocate Month

2025

By The Governor Of The State Of North Carolina

A Proclamation

Whereas, the North Carolina Guardian ad Litem Program 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 for more than 40 years; and

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

Whereas, all Guardian ad Litem programs recruit, screen, train, and supervise volunteer child advocates to speak for the best interest of the child served; 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 involved in unfamiliar court and child welfare systems; and

Whereas, all Guardian ad Litem volunteer child advocates are paired with an attorney and supervised by the assigned local Guardian ad Litem program, and the district courts also appoint Guardian ad Litem volunteer child 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 not every child has a Guardian ad Litem volunteer, and abuse and neglect have long-term personal, economic, and social costs and have the real potential of hurting North Carolina's children today and in the 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 children who experience abuse and neglect 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; more than 3,000 Guardian ad Litem child advocates donated hours of service to children in 2024;

Now, Therefore, I, Josh Stein, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim April 2025, as “Guardian ad Litem Advocate Month” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Great Seal of the State of North Carolina at the Capitol in Raleigh this nineteenth day of March in the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-fifth and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.