On May 24th, GAL Kershaw County volunteer Frankye Hull appeared on WIS’s “Awareness” with GAL Circuit Coordinator Deborah Wilson to discuss the SC GAL Program and Ms. Hull's selection as the national G.F. Bettineski Child Advocate of the Year. She received the award at the 2009 National CASA conference in Denver, Colorado in April.
(watch episode: Awareness (5/24), Part 2 ) |
On the April 30th episode of ETV’s “The Big Picture,” GAL Volunteer Roland Rabon of Kershaw County appeared with Jesse Stevenson for whom Mr. Rabon advocated when Mr. Stevenson was in foster care. An inspirational story, the pair still keep in contact. Mr. Stevenson is now a student at Furman University. State Director Louise Cooper was also interviewed for the segment, which addressed child abuse in South Carolina.
(watch episode) |
| GAL volunteers from across the state gathered in Columbia for Child Abuse Prevention Day at the Capitol on April 2, 2009...(read more) |
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The SC GAL Program held 5 adoption and foster care rallies in November to raise awareness about the need for permanent homes for children in foster care and the role that volunteer GALs play. Seen here are speakers for the Columbia rally: Rep. Laurie Funderburk, USC Baseball Coach Ray Tanner, Family Court Judge Leslie Riddle, USC Basketball Alumnus Terry Dozier, GAL Program Director Louise Cooper, and Adoptive Parent/GAL Volunteer Cynde O'Rear. Click here for more about the events. |
Director of Guardian ad Litem,
Louise Cooper at podium
The SC GAL Program held 5 adoption and foster care rallies in November to raise awareness about the need for permanent homes for children in foster care and the role that volunteer GALs play. GALs participated in the ceremonies by holding 100 life-size child cutouts, which represent the number of children who enter the family court system in South Carolina each week due to abuse or neglect. The cut-outs were borrowed from the national Forgotten Children campaign currently underway across the country, giving faces to child welfare statistics. The events kicked off in Columbia on Sat, Nov 8, at the State Capitol. Rallies were also held in Greenville, Spartanburg, Florence, and Charleston.
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Judge Riddle
Family court judge the Honorable Leslie Riddle received the 2008 National CASA Judge of the Year award at the CASA annual conference in June. Judge Riddle works in the 5th Circuit, which includes Richland and Kershaw counties. Link here for a full list of the 2008 National CASA Awards of Excellence. Congratulations Judge Riddle! |
Dr. Phil and his wife, Robin
THE DR. PHIL CAMPAIGN:
Psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw, the host of the very successful syndicated daytime talk show DR. PHIL, and his wife Robin McGraw have been named official spokespersons for the Forgotten Children campaign, which began May 19th and will continue into 2009. The campaign kicked off in Washington, DC, with a dramatic display of 4,250 life size cutouts of children placed in the shadows of The Washington Monument, representing each child who entered the foster care system in that week alone. National CASA hopes to help to raise awareness on a local level for CASA programs across the nation. The overall goal is to help raise $2.9 million that will go to fund local program growth and sustainability. Ultimately, National CASA hopes to use these funds to help provide a caring volunteer advocate to an additional 75,000 abused and neglected children. [Read more] |
In April 2008, children gathered on
the
State House steps for
National
Child
Abuse Prevention Month Read the Task Force’s report.
The SC Guardian ad Litem Program is a member of the National Court-Appointed Special Advocates Association (NCASAA). Learn about what is going on with Guardian ad Litem programs across the country by reading NCASAA’s newsletter Powerful Voice! |
