Volunteer acts as a child’s guardian angel

Published 11:17 pm Wednesday, November 19, 2008

EVERETT — Navigating the legal system is difficult — especially when you are 7 years old.

That’s where Frank Johnson comes in. As a volunteer guardian ad litem, Johnson acts as a representative of the judge and discerns what is in the best interests of the child, acting when appropriate.

Much of the volunteer work is spent observing conditions within the family and reporting what he has seen. Many times the parents have problems with drugs and alcohol and cannot take care of the child. If the case warrants, Child Protective Services steps in.

Johnson, 74, of Everett has volunteered for more than seven years as a guardian ad litem and has seen his share of sadness, which makes the victories all that much sweeter.

Victory, in Johnson’s eyes, is when the kids go to a safe home.

“Last week, I was at an adoption hearing. For me, that’s the high point,” Johnson said. “When the kids get to return home. That and adoption hearings are always joyful events.”

The road to becoming a guardian ad litem is one that demands a high amount of training.

Program coordinator Michelle Spitzer said the training represents the myriad roles a volunteer must play. The program is funded through Snohomish County, but volunteers provide the outreach to families and children. There are currently 180 guardian ad litem volunteers in Snohomish County. The average volunteer must undergo 32 hours of initial training, which covers child development, social ills, abuse and neglect, cultural issues and sensitivity, report writing and investigation.

“The initial training is long and covers a wide area of issues,” Spitzer said. “And after that initial training volunteers have 12 additional hours of continual training in electives that they can choose as part of their continuing education.”

After the training, the volunteer is then ready to take a case. Johnson currently is volunteering with five kids, all of which require a half-hour visit a month as well as court appointments to represent the child.

Johnson said that he’s usually in court once a month.

“On the average, there are 1,500 children in foster care in Snohomish County, and that number fluctuates,” Spitzer said.

The statistics for representation can be overwhelming, said Jessica Gurley, the program’s community services supervisor.

“We are currently representing one third of these children, and our mandate stated that every child shall have a guardian ad litem,” she said. “Once we are fully staffed, we can handle half, while 24 percent will be represented by a paid attorney. Others will have to go without.”

Reporter Justin Arnold: 425-339-3432 or jarnold@heraldnet.com.