By Andrew Dys The Herald
(Published October 1‚ 2003)
The state's guardian ad litem program that provides volunteers to represent children in abuse and neglect cases in Family Court has enough money identified to continue operation only until January, a spokesman for Gov. Mark San-ford confirmed Tuesday.
If volunteers are no longer available, private lawyers may have to fill the void because state law requires all children in those cases be appointed representation.
The program is part of the governor's office, has paid staff and offers training for volunteers in all 16 judicial circuits across the state. State funding for the 2002-2003 fiscal year was $315,318, said Betsy Chap-man, public affairs director for the state program, down from $1.22 million in 1999-2000. In 2002, the program served 8,657 children statewide, Chap-man said.
Will Folks, spokesman for Sanford, said the governor has personally requested staff look at alternative funding sources that could keep the program going after January.
"The governor has worked with his staff and cabinet agencies to find the money to pay for the program through January," Folks said. "He has instructed his staff to identify alternative funding sources moving forward from that point."
York County in 2002 had 68 volunteers work 5,791 hours for 366 children, Chapman said. Another 65 children were turned away, forcing the court to appoint lawyers in those cases.
The program coordinators for Lancaster, Chester and York counties have all resigned within the past month, Chapman said, and business is being conducted via an answering machine at the York County office.
"It would be a disservice to the community if this program falls apart," said Cherie Barton, lawyer for York County Depart-ment of Social Services and immediate past president of the county bar. "The volunteers all want to do this service. I hope the governor finds a way to keep this program alive."
York County Family Court Judge Henry Woods said the guardian ad litem program "has been very successful in the past and been a great help to the court."
The volunteer program is not affiliated with the paid guard-ians ad litem who are appointed in contested custody cases in Family Court.
If the program goes unfunded, the duty of representing children may fall to lawyers.
"We are very concerned at the prospect that this important obligation may no longer be funded by the state," said Stephen Cox, president of the York County Bar Association, which has about 150 members. "We believe it is a societal obligation and would give the implications serious study and investigation if it comes to that."
Contact Andrew Dys at 329-4065 or mailto:adys@heraldonline.com
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