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 Chris Drummond, a Sanford spokesman. Sanford directed staff in September to find money to augment the guardian program, which was going to run out of money at the end of January.

The new money keeps 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, widely lauded by the courts and unpaid workers who man it, 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.

The state guardian program has hired Harvey Turner to coordinate the 16th Circuit office, based in Rock Hill. After the previous coordinator left earlier this fall, the office could not assign any cases to volunteers because there was no one to run the office. Turner started Nov. 3, and his training has been implemented by Pam Baker, who works with the program statewide.

Turner, retired from Continental Tire in Charlotte and chairman of the York School Board, said Tuesday, "I want what's best for children, period."

"We aren't yet assigning cases but hope to be very soon," Turner said. "I know how important these guardians are for children. I've already taken two calls from people, people who called cold, who want to help."

Turner also is a former police officer and recently retired from the S.C. National Guard. He most recently worked as a constable in the York County court system. Those duties included Family Court, where he saw some of the abuse cases firsthand.

"The guardian program is the only agency in the state that solely regards the interest of the child," Baker said.

The program served 366 children in York County and 8,657 children statewide in 2002.

But even with the money to keep the program afloat for another seven months and somebody to run the local office, York County still does not have enough volunteers to fill the needs of all the children involved in the system. York County has 66 volunteers right now, Baker said, but has about 90 cases.

"We always need volunteers," Baker said. "The need remains. That never changes."

The budget problems were a holdover from previous Gov. Jim Hodges' administration, which used federal funds that no longer were available, Drummond said. The future of the program depends on the General Assembly finding a way to pay for it annually, though, according to Sanford.

In a letter sent to both Speaker of the House David Wilkins and Senate leader Glenn McConnell, Sanford wrote, "While we have addressed the immediate need of the Guardian ad Litem Pro-gram, it does not provide a permanent source of funds to operate the program in the coming fiscal 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."

Contact Andrew Dys at 329-4065 or mailto:adys@heraldonline.com

Want to know more?
The 16th Circuit office of the guardian ad litem grogram will hold its next training for volunteers Jan. 27. For information, call 327-9997.