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'Hardest Volunteer Job' Gives Children A Say

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By PHILIP MORGAN, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 13, 2007

Updated: 12/12/2007 12:44 am

Dad may be long gone. Mom may be in jail. Their abused or neglected children, shuffled among foster homes or reunited with an errant parent for one more chance, need someone to speak for them.

That's where Joe Jalbert - and scores like him - comes in.

Jalbert, a 75-year-old retired IBM program manager, is a volunteer for the Guardian ad Litem program of Hillsborough County. He and other private citizens represent children who may feel tossed about in the family court system.

If a child has needs that haven't been met or shows signs of mistreatment, Jalbert sounds the alarm.
Jalbert heard about the program about four years ago from a friend.

"I took the training course and became rather involved completely," Jalbert says.

The program is one of the organizations featured in the Tribune's annual Holiday Wish List, which runs on Page 2 of BayLife through Dec. 24.

The nonprofit's wishes this year, as every year, are for more volunteers such as Jalbert to stand up for hundreds of children under the supervision of the court system.

Voices for Children, which raises awareness and funds for the guardian ad litem program, also seeks cash donations to help support the children's needs.

"It's probably the hardest volunteer job anybody could ever do," says Lisa Semeyn, executive director of Voices for Children.

Volunteers undergo 30 hours of training before being assigned cases.

They become investigators and advocates for the child, reporting any problems or needs to the caseworker or the judge.

The child may be sleeping in a bed that's too small, for example, or may have been placed in a family that doesn't speak his or her language. The guardian ad litem addresses those concerns.

The child may need money to sign up for football, to take violin lessons or to buy a cheerleading outfit. The volunteer sees that it's taken care of.

"That's the extra that's really going to make a difference in that kid's life, to feel like they belong," Semeyn says.

For many youngsters, the system is jarring. The child may be awakened in the middle of the night, taken from home in the back of a police car, placed in a foster care facility or with a family of strangers.

"And you've got to figure out how to survive," Semeyn says.

They survive with the help of people such as Jalbert, who is more than happy to be of service.

"There is just a tremendous amount of satisfaction in seeing children placed where they have the best chance of growing up with a normal life," he says.

To volunteer for the guardian ad litem program, call (813) 272-5110. To make a donation, call Voices for Children at (813) 902-9300. Reporter Philip Morgan can be reached at (813) 259-7609 or pmorgan@tampa

trib.com.

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