Free Volunteer GAL Training Program

		Our free training will teach you to be a positive, effective child advocate. It will help you understand what you can do as a GAL, and teach you how to make a difference for a child.
Aiken County
Be the voice of an abused, abandoned or neglected child! Many children have nobody to speak up for them because of the abusive environments they are tangled in. As a Volunteer Guardian ad Litem, you can be that one supportive voice of the child to break the cycle of abuse by helping them find a safe and permanent home.
Next training session starts: October 18th, 2010.	The GAL training is based on the National CASA guidelines. 30 hours of training are required to become a volunteer Guardian ad Litem. The training is very interactive, with many group and individual activities. There are ten class sessions of 3 hours each, two 3 hour Court Observations, and reading in preparation for class time. Actual case studies are used to teach the principles involved. What subjects are covered in training? You will learn how to talk to abused children, and build a bond of trust and rapport with a child. You will learn appropriate ways to interact with children, while still maintaining your role as an advocate. Many people worry that they will become too involved with the children, but an important part of our training is to teach appropriate boundaries when interacting with families and children. You will also study the Family Court system, the Department of Social Services, and the problems that affect children and families and lead to abuse and neglect. Are you ready to make a difference for a child? Download Applications in PDF or Word format, or call Gary Watson at 648-9919 for more information and to sign up for classes.
See how you can make a difference for an abused child. Who can become a volunteer GAL? Questions? Try our FAQ! Aiken County Volunteer Guardian ad Litem Program Gary Watson, Coordinator 5170 Woodside Exec. Court, Aiken, SC 29803 648-9919 volunteer@Aiken.scgal.org Listing of other counties Aiken Home Page SC Volunteer Guardian ad Litem Program