Item B4
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BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
C ounty of M onroe
Mayor David Rice, District 4
Mayor Pro Tem Craig Cates, District 1
The Florida Keys
Michelle Coldiron, District 2
Vacant, District 3
Holly Merrill Raschein, District 5
County Commission Meeting
April 20, 2022
Agenda Item Number: B.4
Agenda Item Summary #10420
BULK ITEM: No DEPARTMENT: BOCC District 4
TIME APPROXIMATE: STAFF CONTACT: Tamara Lamarche (305) 289-6000
9:00 AM
AGENDA ITEM WORDING: Mayor's Proclamation declaring the month of April 2022 as Child
Abuse Prevention and Volunteer Appreciation Month on behalf of the Florida Guardian ad Litem
Program.
ITEM BACKGROUND: For more than 40 years, the Florida Guardian ad Litem Office has
provided the most vulnerable children in Florida with an adult from their community who is a
consistent, positive pre
hundreds of thousands of vulnerable children located throughout Florida.
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION: Annual Proclamation.
CONTRACT/AGREEMENT CHANGES:
NA
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
DOCUMENTATION:
Guardian ad Litem Proclamation Apr 2022
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Effective Date:
Expiration Date:
Total Dollar Value of Contract:
Total Cost to County:
Current Year Portion:
Budgeted:
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Source of Funds:
CPI:
Indirect Costs:
Estimated Ongoing Costs Not Included in above dollar amounts:
Revenue Producing: If yes, amount:
Grant:
County Match:
Insurance Required:
Additional Details:
REVIEWED BY:
David Rice Skipped 03/25/2022 12:25 PM
Bob Shillinger Completed 04/05/2022 1:14 PM
Lindsey Ballard Completed 04/05/2022 2:24 PM
Board of County Commissioners Pending 04/20/2022 9:00 AM
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WHEREAS, April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and April 17-23rd, 2022, is National Volunteer Week; and
WHEREAS, the Florida Guardian ad Litem Office provides representation for abused, abandoned, and neglected children
in dependency court proceedings; and
WHEREAS, the Florida Guardian ad Litem Office, current best interests model of representation, is nationally recognized
as best practice because it uses a multi-disciplinary team model that includes an attorney, a certified child advocate
manager, and a trained volunteer or pro bono attorney; and
WHEREAS, for more than 40 years, the Florida Guardian ad Litem Office has provided the most vulnerable children in
Florida with an adult from their community who is a consistent, positive presenc
WHEREAS, the Florida Guardian ad Litem Office provides the highest quality community advocacy and legal
representation to
Litem Office has provided independent legal advocacy for hundreds of thousands of vulnerable children located
throughout Florida; and
WHEREAS, in 2021, the Florida Guardian ad Litem Office had more than 13,000 volunteers, and those volunteers
advocated for more than 37,000 children in Florida; and the Guardian ad Litem Program in the 16th Judicial Circuit,
Monroe County oversees a volunteer base of over 80 people; and those volunteers advocate for more than 172 children
in Monroe County; and have provided an invaluable service to Dependency Court Judges; and
WHEREAS, Guardian ad Litem pro bono attorneys sacrifice time worth over three million dollars annually to the State of
Florida; and Guardian ad Litem volunteers sacrifice time and mileage worth millions of dollars annually to the State of
Florida; and
WHEREAS, studies show that children with a Guardian ad Litem are more likely to be adopted, half as likely to re-enter
foster care, less likely to spend time in long-term foster care, more likely to have a permanency plan, and more likely to
perform well in school; and
NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved that by virtue of the authority vested in me as Mayor of Monroe County, Florida, I do
hereby proclaim the month of April 2022 as:
_____________________________________
Mayor David Rice
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