The Guardian ad Litem Foundation – 20th Judicial Circuit fulfilled just shy of 1,500 children’s needs during 2021, the highest the requests have ever been.

“Our program operates year round. We constantly have children entering the foster care system in need of beds, emergency clothing . . . a year round operation for us,” Guardian ad Litem Foundation — 20th Judicial Circuit Executive Director Jessica Stanfield said.

The nonprofit organization helps kids in Southwest Florida navigate the court system who have fallen victim to abuse, neglect and abandonment and are adjusting to new homes and families. Stanfield said the child is pulled from wherever the abuse took place and could be placed in a home with children and animals they are not used to.

“Their life is in total upheaval. We work with the Guardian ad Litem program, advocates that are matched with kiddos as they navigate,” the system, she said.

The advocates are individuals the child can count on to visit them and get them what they need. Stanfield said they are working for the child and not representing the mom, dad or state.

“We as a nonprofit arm volunteers to help meet those children’s needs,” she said.

Those needs look completely different for every child and can vary from such things as tutoring, clothing, participation in a sport, or camp, to a bed, or a car seat for a child who does not have one.

“We do all this through grants and donations,” Stanfield said.

The foundation has never denied a request that has fallen within their guidelines, even through the pandemic.

The 2021 year resulted in just shy of 1,500 children’s needs requested, 286 birthdays celebrated and 453 emergency clothing gift card distributed, as many children only have the clothing on their back. The birthday celebrations are by request of the volunteers, resulting in a gift card, so they can celebrate with the child.

“It was a big year of need. Through the pandemic we saw more abuse than we have ever seen. Incredible, not in a good way. Kids that were really hurting and needed a lot of assistance through the year. We are fortunate that our community is generous. We are happy we were able to provide that,” she said.

There were 751 new children in need of guardians in 2021.

“It was an incredible year of us trying to change children’s stories in our community. We are currently representing more than 1,200 kids. We are doing that with 500 volunteers. Some volunteers are serving multiple cases and children helping to achieve normalcy, or permanency,” she said. “I wish there was a vaccine for child abuse. Sometimes we like to put our blinders on. Not here. Not in beautiful, sunny, Southwest Florida. It’s happening and it’s happening right in our community.”

Some of the grant donors they had previously went in another direction to cover personal protective equipment, or take care of another organization, which Stanfield said was valid and understandable.

“As we see children struggling and decreased resources from avenues that we were used to have support from, those in the community stepped up and gave their best gift,” she said, adding that donors believed in their organization.

With the need rising to provide assistance to children from birth to age 18, the support from the community is still a great need.

“We have kiddos that are put in the foster care system literally upon birth,” she said.

Even after a child turns 18 volunteers stay connected with them to help them navigate their pathway for success to entering adulthood.

One of the ways for the community to help is through volunteering. Stanfield said the only prerequisite is to have a heart for the job. Volunteers, she explained, come from every walk of life, as well as age.

“You don’t have to have a law background. We provide training and a support system to be successful,” Stanfield said.

The foundation can also use assistance at the foundation level through events, or becoming a potential board member.

With the foundation relying exclusively on donations from individuals, businesses and sponsorships for their events, monetary donations are also sought.

“Certainly a charitable gift to the foundation is vital to our success,” she said, adding that individuals can learn more and give a gift securely online at “http://www.voicesforkids.org”>www.voicesforkids.org. “They can truly impact the life of a child right here. No gift is too small. We can truly make a transformative impact off of any gift.”

That transformative gift can come in the shape of a $25 gift card for a volunteer to purchase a birthday present and cake for the child. She said for one 7-year- old girl that turned into a moment she will never forget, as that was the first time she was celebrated on the day she was born.

“They will remember that for their whole life,” Stanfield said.