Guardian Ad Litem Florida

Florida Guardian Ad Litem Blog Message from our Executive Director

To: All Staff

Successful Legislative Session and 10,000 voices

As Session began this year, the legislature was under pressure to cut the State’s budget by nearly five billion dollars. While Governor Scott’s proposed budget kept the Guardian ad Litem Program intact, the legislature initially proposed cuts to the Guardian ad Litem budget. The initial Fiscal Year 2011-2012 budget proposals by the Senate reduced our amount from last year by $750,000. The House reduction was a staggering $3.8 million. Our volunteers in the field have developed the relationships with Senate and House members throughout the years, which made the impact of cuts and the adverse effect it would have on children already obvious to legislative members. In meeting with legislators, it was clear that they already understood the importance of the Program and what our mission is, to advocate for children. The legislators had met with our volunteers and circuit directors during the year and were familiar with each of them.

We reinforced the importance of maintaining funding levels for the GAL Program throughout the 2011 Legislative Session. During Budget Conference negotiations, the House made several passes to increase their current position, but did not quite get to the Senate position. The Senate ultimately accepted the house position which had us at about a 2% cut.

Senator Storms, Senator Rich, Senator Siplin, Senator Joyner and Representative Soto led an emotional and spirited opposition to this 2% cut and appealed to their conference chairs that the issue be reopened. The issue was reopened by the Conference Chairs and we gave the hard facts that over 1,000 children would lose representation and protection with this cut. Senator Alexander offered an additional one million dollars this year in recurring funds, whereas before they had been nonrecurring, and Representative Grimsley accepted.

With these restored funds, the Guardian ad Litem Program is to receive $31,333,289 in the final budget which has passed both Houses and has been approved by the Governor.

This represents no cut to our Program and the $1 million we have received over the last couple of years that has been non-recurring, is now recurring. Members that went above and beyond to receive this result for our Program were Ronda Storms, Nan Rich, Arthenia Joyner, Gary Siplin, Mike Fasano, J.D. Alexander, Janette Nunez, Carlos Lopez Cantera, Darryl Rouson, Darren Soto, Rich Glorioso, Denise Grimsley and others behind the scene.

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