The Guardian ad Litem Program has turned to him many times over the years to provide guidance, advice and training for our Program Attorneys and staff. His work in the courtroom includes advocacy on behalf of children with disabilities, and he is an expert in the field of education law. Paolo received his M. He has served as the legal advisor to the State of Florida Human Rights Advocacy Commission and has practiced as both a public defender and in legal services advocacy.
We are proud that Paolo Annino is an Honorary Guardian ad Litem as he represents what is possible and what we can aspire to be on behalf of the most vulnerable among us. Janet Adkins is recognized as one of these unique leaders who has been there for children.
The Regis Little Act created a process to give protection to incapacitated youth a guardian prior to aging out of foster care. When Regis Little died, we were left wondering if he had a guardian before he turned 18, could his life have been spared?
Of course, we will never know the answer, but with the passage of the Regis Little Act to Protect Children with Special Needs, we are ensuring that children in need of a guardian have one in place before they turn 18 — giving these young adults an added protection during a very vulnerable time for them.
Elaine Holt embodies what it means to be a true advocate. Elaine has been the go-to person for advice and direction for leaders in the 7th Circuit. She served on many committees and was always there to solve a problem — no matter how daunting. She is not only an inspiration to many in her community. During her 60 years in Daytona Beach, Elaine Holt has been the leading advocate for a wide array of services for the mentally ill.
Elaine worked as head nurse of the secure mental-health ward at Halifax Health Medical Center for 20 years, and since then has been a dedicated and determined advocate for the people of all ages who are experiencing mental illness challenges. Elaine served on the board of the Northeast Florida State Hospital and several other community boards. Throughout her career, Elaine has worked tirelessly to ensure those afflicted with serious mental illness and their families are provided the services they need to live a productive and happy life.
Healthy Families Florida is a nationally accredited home visiting program for expectant parents and parents of newborns experiencing stressful life situations. The program improves childhood outcomes and increases family self-sufficiency by empowering parents through education and community support. She is the face and voice of advocacy to empower families who want to do right by children to have the resources to be successful. Thank you Carol for your advocacy on behalf of children and families throughout Florida.
The Senator shares the GAL values of ensuring every child has a voice and children in need of protection have an advocate. Judge David Gooding. Judge Gooding treats GAL volunteers with respect — making them feel appreciated and valued. He is also known for the extra time and effort he spends with children involved in the Juvenile Justice system.
He knows that the decisions he makes will have a lasting effect on the children in his courtroom. Judge David Gooding was elected to the circuit court bench in and serves as a member of the faculty for the Florida Conference for Circuit Court Judges Education Committee, as well as on a number of charitable organizations. A frequent speaker at educational conferences for judges and lawyers, he specializes in best practices for expediting adoptions. Judge Gooding has received numerous local, state and national awards for his work on the bench as an advocate for children in the courts, more specifically, those children who have languished in foster care awaiting adoption.
Recently, Judge Gooding was awarded the William E. Gladstone Award for his outstanding judicial leadership, for streamlining the adoption process in Duval County, developing Family First Fridays to support timely adoptions, and his continuous commitment to improving the welfare of children in the dependency system.
Judge Gooding has also received:. Thank you Judge Gooding for your leadership, hard work and dedication. Representative Charles McBurney. McBurney is an advocate for expansion of small business opportunities and improving Pre-K — Higher Education. When presented with the award, Rep. The GAL Program is a great example of a public-private partnership that makes a difference for kids in Florida.
Wansley Walters. Wansley Walters is a nationally recognized leader in juvenile justice. As head of DJJ, Secretary Walters leads the state agency responsible for serving youth and communities throughout Florida. In October , she launched the Roadmap to System Excellence, a comprehensive initiative to strategically reform juvenile justice in Florida.
Her impact on children in dependency has kept many children out of the criminal justice system by passing laws that are supportive of prevention services and civil citation instead of arrest and criminal records. Florida Senate President Don Gaetz. Thank you Senator Gaetz. Representative Matt Gaetz. Representative Gaetz is a strong child advocate and was essential in the passage of the Keys to Independence Act — a law vitally important to children in foster care.
Sharon Langer. Prior to her position at DIG, Inc. She practices primarily in the area of family law and serves on many committees, boards and task forces dealing with issues important to women and children. Attorney Jessica Rae. Jessica has tirelessly represented hundreds of children in dependency proceedings while at Maryland Legal Aid.
Jessica later joined the Baltimore City Department of Social Services and managed the Ready by 21 initiative created to improve outcomes for teens. In , Jessica moved to Florida, where she became a Guardian ad Litem volunteer and later a senior attorney.
Attorney Sue Jamieson. Since , she has focused on the rights of person in institutions. She is a dedicated legal advocate for the disabled, made history and changed the lives of individuals with disabilities forever when in , she filed a case against the Georgia Department of Human Services on behalf Lois Curtis and the late Elaine Wilson, who both spent the majority of their lives receiving mental support services in state institutions.
Even though health care professionals determined that both women would be better off receiving treatment in an integrated community-based setting rather than a state-run institution, the state denied their release. Sue then filed Olmstead v. LC and EW. The Olmstead case , widely described as the Brown v. Board of Education of disability rights cases, established the right of people with mental disabilities to live in the community with proper supports as a civil right.
To honor Ms. After the Olmstead decision in , Lois began painting and became a folk artist whose artwork has been displayed in venues across the country and is a part of the Kilpatrick Stockton Law Firm collection in Atlanta, GA.
In , upon meeting president Obama, Lois presented him with one of her paintings. Sue reminds us all that one person can make a real difference. Senator Nancy Detert. Senator Detert has devoted her career to advancing the well being of foster children and teens. Detert is known for her love of young people and has spent many hours listening to the personal stories of teens in foster care.
State Representative Ben Albritton. Representativ e Ben Albritton feels that lawmakers should focus on people and with his tireless focus on foster children, this year Rep. Albritton sponsored a bill that will help countless foster children have childhood memories they will cherish forever.
The law allows children in foster care to take part in everyday activities—just like their peers. After receiving a recent award for his work, Rep. The announcement honoring Loney was made by Alan Abramowitz, Executive Director, before he and Justin threw out the first pitch in the game against the Minnesota Twins. Loney and his wife are featured in new public service announcements to recruit volunteer Guardians for the Program in the St.
Petersburg and Tampa Bay areas. The mission of the Guardian ad Litem program is to speak for the best interests of abused and neglected children in the courts.
We promote and support quality volunteer representation for children to provide each child a safe, permanent, nurturing home. In the US each year, more than half a million abused and neglected children are in need of safe, permanent, nurturing homes. That's where Guardian ad Litem steps in. As trained advocates, Guardian ad Litem volunteers are appointed by Judges in the Juvenile Dependency System to be a voice for these children in court.
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