The center reaches out to Guardians ad Litem

The Center for Family and Community Engagement has increased its involvement with North Carolina’s Guardian ad Litem (GAL) system. GALs are trained volunteer advocates who work alongside attorneys to investigate and determine the needs of children who enter the court system through the Department of Social Services. Naturally, GALs play an important role in the lives of many children involved with DSS, and are often asked to participate in child and family team (CFT) meetings. This is where the center has come in—to help GALs understand the structure and purpose of CFTs, and how they can be involved. So far, the center has provided specialized technical assistance and learning support (TALS) workshops and a webinar that is available for on-demand viewing through our self-paced online training portfolio. We hope to continue expanding our work with GALs in the future!