McCarter letter: Help abused, neglected children find safe home

Recent events in the news have directed the nation’s attention to the subject of child sexual abuse. It is difficult for us to imagine the mentality of someone who could hurt a child in this way. We feel angry, yet at the same time, we sometimes feel powerless to make a difference.
While you may feel powerless now, there is a way you can be a powerful voice for an abused or neglected child in 2012: Become a volunteer Guardian ad Litem (GAL).
GALs are specially trained members of the community, who are court-appointed to serve children under the Department of Social Services’ (DSS) protection.
In December 2010, one South Carolina GAL celebrated the adoption of a young man who had been sexually abused by a family member. The teenager had experienced a long, heart-breaking struggle.
Throughout the process that eventually made him available for adoption, it was his GAL who was the one constant in his life. Caseworkers and foster homes changed, but not his Guardian ad Litem.
Now that one-time struggle is in the young man’s rear-view mirror as he focuses on getting his driver’s license and celebrates his one-year anniversary with his new family.
His former GAL has moved on to helping other children find safe and permanent homes.
Consider giving the gift of time and advocacy to a child. It will not cost you much, but the benefits will last a lifetime.
You can help Lancaster County children find safe, permanent homes by becoming a volunteer Guardian ad Litem.
The next free 30-hour training starts Feb. 27. Call Paula Lance at (803) 286-6064 for more information on how you can be the voice of an abused or neglected child.
Cass Elias McCarter
Guardian ad Litem program, Lancaster