Tag Archive for: #guardianadlitem

Local Guardian ad Litem Training Begins Jan. 13, 2026

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The local Guardian ad Litem program is a statewide program designed to place trained volunteers to serve as advocates for neglected or abused children going through the court system.

The next six-week training session begins on Jan. 13, 2026. Area Supervisor Samantha Branch, who serves the five-county region that includes Vance, Granville, Warren, Franklin and Person counties, is seeking additional volunteers who want to become advocates for this very important program.

Formed in 1983, the Guardian ad Litem program serves in all 100 counties in North Carolina and is a division of the N.C. Administrative Office of the Courts.

According to information on its website, when a petition alleging abuse or neglect of a juvenile is filed in district court, the judge appoints a volunteer GAL advocate and an attorney advocate to provide team representation to the child.

Program staff in each county work with the GAL child to provide support – legal and advocacy – to children as they go through the court process.

Advocates protect and promote the best interests of juveniles in abuse and neglect court proceedings, as well as report the child’s wishes to the court. They also could contribute to independent investigations to determine the facts, the needs of the child and identify resources appropriate to each case.

Learn more about the program at https://www.nccourts.gov/programs/guardian-ad-litem.

If you think you’d like to become a trained Guardian ad Litem advocate, call 252.430.5121 or visit volunteerforgal.org.

(Information above originally posted Dec. 17, 2025)

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TownTalk: Guardian ad Litem Program Provides Advocates To Children In Court System

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Eight hours a month doesn’t sound like much, but it could make all the difference in the life of a child.

Eight hours is what most Guardian ad Litem volunteers can expect to spend in their advocacy role for young people who are involved in the court system because of abuse or neglect.

Ruth Griffin, recruitment and retention lead for the statewide GAL program based in Raleigh, said there are roughly 3,200 volunteers in North Carolina, but there’s always a need for more.

In Vance County, for example, there are 77 children in care, but 21 do not have an advocate, Griffin said on Wednesday’s TownTalk.

Of 23 in Granville County, three are without advocates at this time.

“We have some awesome, awesome volunteers who are active in other cases,” Griffin said, “but we want more folks from the community to step up and to speak up for these kids in court – our goal being that every child should have an advocate.”

There is some training involved with becoming a guardian ad litem volunteer, and the winter training sessions begin Tuesday, Jan. 21. The virtual sessions will be held on Tuesdays from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. through Feb. 25. Apply at volunteerforgal.org.

As Griffin explained, it is a district court judge who begins the process of involving the Guardian ad Litem program when there’s a case of abuse or neglect of a child. A local advocate will be assigned and that person begins gathering information from adults in the child’s life – parents, teachers, physicians, etc. With support from an attorney and from GAL staff, the advocate creates a report with recommendations for what’s best for the child going forward.

For some children, their GAL advocate is the only constant in their lives. Social workers change, foster homes change, but a GAL advocate can remain with a child to provide emotional support as the case moves through the courts.

Advocates can visit with the children in familiar settings like their foster home or school, said Sarah Sattelberg, an advocacy specialist who works in the Raleigh office. “You’re never meeting them alone,” Sattelberg said.

Griffin said most of the cases that are referred to GAL involve neglect, but every case and every child is different. Some could be “situations that the average person just can’t imagine,” she said. “Oftentimes, we are meeting these kids at their worst moment.” The goal is to advocate for the best interests of the child as he or she moves through the court system.

Aside from the specific training that all advocates must complete, there’s no special background or expertise needed to become an advocate.

“You just have to have a heart to care,” Griffin said. “If you have that, you can begin to change a child’s life.”

Samantha Branch is the local contact for the Judicial District 11, which includes, Vance, Granville, Warren, Franklin and Person counties. Below are the addresses and phone numbers for the offices in the WIZS listening area:

Vance County
156 Church St., Henderson, NC 27536
252.430.5121

Granville County
147 Williamsboro St., Oxford, NC 27565
919.690.4921

Warren County
113 S. Main St., Louisburg, NC 27549
919.497.4244

Franklin County
113 S. Main St., Louisburg, NC 27549
919.497.4244

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Dunlow Honored by Guardian ad Litem Program for 9th Judicial District

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-Information courtesy Melanie Griggs, program supervisor for Guardian ad Litem 

Attorney John Dunlow was honored by the Guardian ad Litem program for the 9th Judicial District which includes Granville, Franklin, Person, Vance and Warren Counties on August 7, 2018.

At the lunch event attended by his peers, District 9 Guardians and GAL staff, Mr. Dunlow was recognized for faithfully serving as the GAL Attorney Advocate in Granville County for over twenty years.

Mary Jo Van Horne, GAL District Supervisor, shared a message from North Carolina Governor, Roy Cooper commending Mr. Dunlow:

Attorney John Dunlow was honored by the Guardian ad Litem program for the 9th Judicial District at a lunch event on August 7, 2018.

“On behalf of the State of North Carolina, it is a pleasure to congratulate you on your 20th anniversary of service as attorney advocate to the Guardian ad Litem Program of Judicial District 9.   This is certainly a special occasion, and I know that the entire community appreciates your many contributions over the years.

I join your family, friends and colleagues in wishing you an outstanding anniversary celebration.  You have my best wishes for continued success and happiness in all your future endeavors.”

A commendation for Attorney Advocate Longevity from Cindy Bizzell, North Carolina Guardian ad Litem Administrator, was also presented to Mr. Dunlow.

The Guardian ad Litem program’s mission is to provide trained independent advocates to represent and promote the best interests of abused, neglected and dependent children in the state court system and to work expediently toward a plan that ensures these children are in a safe, permanent home. For more information about joining this crucial organization, visit  www.volunteerforgal.org.

Free Screening of Movie “Resilience” Part of Prevent Child Abuse Month

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By: Kelly Bondurant, Freelance Writer/Editor for Hire

In observance of April’s designation as Prevent Child Abuse month in North Carolina, the District Nine Guardian ad Litem program is sponsoring a free screening of the movie “Resilience-The Biology of Stress & The Science of Hope” on Friday, April 6, 2018.

The one-hour documentary begins at 2:00 p.m. in the Farm Bureau Room of the H. Leslie Perry Memorial Library in downtown Henderson. Popcorn will be provided to viewers.

The movie outlines the link between childhood trauma and a lifetime of health risks for chronic diseases and poor health behaviors. Information regarding public health resources and volunteer opportunities will also be available at the film screening.

Those interested in attending may contact Melanie Griggs, supervisor of the Guardian ad Litem program for District Nine, at (252) 430-5121 for more details; however, the event does not require an RSVP.

The District Nine Guardian ad Litem program currently serves children who are in the custody of the Department of Social Services in Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren County.

According to Griggs, the program has three paid professional staff and approximately 75 volunteers who offer support and comfort as children move through the court system.

“We get referrals for a child weekly,” Griggs said. “There has been a small uptick in court cases involving Social Services due to the recent opioid crisis.”

Weekly referrals of children under the custody of Social Services means the program is constantly in need of volunteers. “We are always looking for volunteers who are ready to go through the required training and work with these children,” said Griggs.

All interested volunteers are required to complete an application, provide three references, pass a background check and complete 30 hours of training. Those interested in volunteering or learning more about the program may visit the Guardian ad Litem website at www.volunteerforgal.org.

“We would like volunteers to become involved in these children’s lives by attending meetings with that child and really learning the child’s story,” Griggs said.

Working in conjunction with the Guardian ad Litem program and Prevent Child Abuse month, the Granville-Vance Public Health Department is spreading the word that the first week of April is National Public Health Week.

According to Lindsey Bickers Bock, health education supervisor with Granville-Vance Public Health, the focus of this week is creating a healthier nation through the course of one generation.

This directly ties into the focus of the effects of childhood trauma as multiple studies have found a link between childhood adversity and adult health issues.

“A lot of research shows that what’s been labeled Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, really have an impact on health outcomes and health behaviors such as smoking, overeating and chronic conditions throughout life,” said Bickers Bock.

ACE’s include physical, sexual and emotional abuse and major life events such as divorce or incarceration of a parent. As Bickers Bock explained on Tuesday’s edition of Town Talk, it is universal that most children from birth to 18 years old have experienced one or two ACE’s.

Research shows that there is a jump in the number of health issues for adults who experience three or four ACE’s, with the risk of chronic illness skyrocketing for adults who experienced six or more traumatic events in childhood.

According to Bickers Bock, this decline in health is caused by a myriad of factors including the way the body processes chronic stress hormones and the impact that has on the development of the immune system.

To help combat this problem, Bickers Bock said Granville-Vance Public Health is working with coalitions on child health to brainstorm ways representatives from schools, the legal system, after-school programs and public health can work together.

Granville-Vance Public Health currently offers trauma-informed primary care, group pregnancy care, parenting education and a wellness coalition for children ages 10 and under.

In addition to these efforts, Bickers Bock believes a change in the way we think of children suffering from trauma needs to change, “We need to flip our mindset from what is wrong with this child to what has happened to this child.”

For more information on the services provided by Granville-Vance Home health visit their website at www.gvph.org.

District 9 Guardian Ad Litem Will Be Hosting A Showing of the Film Entitled “Resilence”

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Be sure to listen to WIZS at 11 a.m. for Town Talk on Tuesday, April 3 as our guest Melanie Griggs will be live on the show with important information about Guardian Ad Litem in the four county area.

The following information was distributed by the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce.

What: Film Screening and Discussion

When: Friday, April 6, 2018, 1:45 p.m. until 4 p.m. – film starts at 2 p.m.

Where: Farm Bureau Room, Leslie Perry Library, Henderson, NC

RSVP: Melanie Griggs, (252) 430-5121 or melanie.h.griggs@nccourts.org by March 30, 2018

The child may not remember, but the body remembers. Researchers have recently discovered a dangerous biological syndrome caused by abuse and neglect during childhood. As the new documentary Resilience reveals, toxic stress can trigger hormones that wreak havoc on the brains and bodies of children, putting them at a greater risk for disease, homelessness, prison time, and early death. While the broader impacts of poverty worsen the risk, no segment of society is immune. Resilience, however, also chronicles the dawn of a movement that is determined to fight back. Trailblazers in pediatrics, education, and social welfare are using cutting-edge science and field-tested therapies to protect children from the insidious effects of toxic stress—and the dark legacy of a childhood that no child would choose.