“The one person in their world that doesn't have expectations”: Guardian ad Litem perceptions of working with children in the child welfare system

Abstract

Guardians ad Litem (GALs) are uniquely situated to support children's best interest in foster care. In Florida, GALs are volunteers drawn from the community who are mandated by the court to advocate for children but are not employed by the state or a private child welfare agency. GALs conduct home visits, provide recommendations supporting the child's best interest in court, and navigate relationships with the children they serve, their caseworkers, and other service providers. Despite the pertinent role child advocates play, there are several gaps in understanding their experiences or contributions to the child welfare system, particularly how GALs perceive and enact their work. The purpose of this research was to analyze GALs' perspectives of what it is like to work with youth who are in the foster care system in their own words to help enhance these relationships for GALs and youth in care. As a part of a larger qualitative study, this secondary analysis consisted of 555 GALs in the state of Florida who participated in an online survey. Inductive thematic analysis was used by two independent coders to elicit themes from the responses. Three overarching themes that emerged are as follows: (1) a multifaceted and dynamic sense of responsibility for children that we refer to as “stewardship”; (2) challenges to interacting and connecting with youth; and (3) the importance of teamwork or collaboration. Serving as a GAL is perceived by respondents as a challenging but rewarding endeavor that involves emotional investment, relationship management, and long-term commitments. Implications for future research, practice, training, and program administration are discussed for supporting the work of GALs within the child welfare system, as well as the well-being of children.