WHEREAS, the North Carolina Guardian ad Litem Program, celebrating 40 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, all Guardian ad Litem programs recruit, screen, train, and supervise community 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; 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 more than 2,361 children do not have a Guardian ad Litem volunteer; and abuse and neglect have long-term personal, economic, and social costs, 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 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 5,030 Guardian ad Litem child advocates donated countless hours of service to the children in 2022;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim April, 2023, as “GUARDIAN AD LITEM CHILD ADVOCATE MONTH” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.