ROCK HILL, S.C. - Gov. Mark Sanford has earmarked federal money to continue South Carolina's guardian ad litem program through June, but the long-term future of the program remains in question without funding from the Legislature.

The program, run by the governor's office, will use almost $600,000 in federal block grant money from the Department of Health and Human Services to keep the program operational for the remainder of the fiscal year, said Sanford spokesman Chris Drummond.

The program provides training and support for volunteer representatives of children in abuse and neglect Family Court cases. In 2002, 8,657 children statewide were served by the program.

Sanford directed staff in September to find money to augment the guardian program, which was going to run out of funds at the end of January. The federal grant money will keep offices in 15 judicial circuits from closing.

The program's viability also will keep private lawyers from being the sole source of guardians in abuse and neglect cases.

State law requires that every child be appointed a guardian whether there is a volunteer program or not. When volunteers are not available, private lawyers are appointed by Family Court judges.

The volunteer program is not connected to the paid guardian ad litem system in contested custody cases. All the guardians in the governor's office program are volunteers who undergo state-mandated training. They also are required to file reports to the court.

Sanford said the program's future depends on annual funding from the General Assembly.

The governor sent a letter to House Speaker David Wilkins, R-Greenville, and Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston. In the letter, Sanford said that although the immediate needs of the program have been addressed, a permanent source of funding is needed to operate the program in future years.

"It is my hope that the General Assembly will identify recurring state funds to pay for operations and salaries of the program in the future so that we can avoid emergency funding shifts to salvage programs," Sanford wrote.