The Dorchester County Volunteer Guardian ad Litem Program trains volunteers to become advocates for abused and neglected children. It is our mission to provide a volunteer for every Dorchester County child who is involved with the Family Court system due to abuse or neglect.

Description:
Our volunteers advocate for children who have been abused or neglected. We work one-on-one with children, and strive to help them find safe, permanent homes as quickly as possible. We learn as much as possible about the child, including what they want and need, so that we can advocate effectively for them, both in and out of the courtroom. We pride ourselves on remaining with a child throughout their entire case, and are often the only adults who are stable in their lives during this turbulent time. Our volunteers find it both challenging and rewarding to be a positive force in a child's life.

History:
The Dorchester Guardian ad Litem program has been providing child advocates for abused and neglected children in this county since 1984. Our program has continued to grow since that time, and as of December 2007, we are advocating for 167 children.

Contact people:

Terry Wheatley, Program Coordinator, (phone), (email) Cherie Walker, Marketing Director, (phone), (email)

Office fax number: (843) 875-9842

Address:

305 East Richardson Ave. summerville, SC 29483 (See a map)

Web Site: http://oepp.sc.gov/gal