Welcome to Northwest Florida Guardian ad Litem Foundation, Inc.

What is a volunteer worth?

For Children

- Do better in school

- 50 % less likely to return to foster care

- Have fewer placements

- Receive more services

- More likely to be adopted

- Spend less time in foster care

For Florida

- 32 months - average volunteer service period

- $3,397 - cost to support a GAL volunteer

- $7,474 - average cost of donated time and gas by GAL volunteer

- $4,057 - return on investment per GAL volunteer

GAL Volunteers save the State of Florida $21,920,878 in salaries and benefits!

Children In Need Fund

The Children in Need Fund supports the children in the Guardian ad Litem Program of the First Judicial Circuit that includes Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton Counties. The urgent need for such support was recently reemphasized in a memo to all Circuit Directors by Alan Abramowitz, Executive Director, Florida Statewide Guardian ad Litem Program which is partially quoted here:

"Although the state provides funding for the Statewide Guardian ad Litem Program, the allocated funding historically has not been enough to fully cover all of the Program¹s needs and has not included all children's normalcy projects and initiatives.

Therefore, while we are extremely grateful for increased legislative support, it is important to realize that the non-profits throughout the state that are the fundraising arms for their local Guardian ad Litem Programs need to continue to raise money to assure each circuit's Guardian ad Litem Program is able to serve all children in their care