We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Gloria Alford. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Gloria below.
Hi Gloria, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
I have always worked in various volunteer organizations that served children. I have been a Certified Guardian ad Litem and Certified Educational Surrogate for 13 years. Over the years I have handled some very sad cases and had some sleepless nights. I remember each child’s face that I have worked with and their situation. Their stories and their fears stay with me and encourages me to advocate for them in the best way I can. I have run into numerous road blocks due to finances or overworked staff who don’t return phone calls or see my concerns as seriously as I do. My work is not done until the children are in a safe home whether they are reunified with their parents, who have corrected their neglectful behaviors, or in an adopted forever home. During the times I feel exhausted and wonder if I can keep going I remember a Guardian ad Litem who recently passed and used to say “If I quit there will be a child who needs a Guardian ad Litem and I wouldn’t be around to help them”. It truly does take a village to raise a child and I’m honored to be a part of that team.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
A Certified Guardian ad Litem in Duval County, Florida is purely a volunteer position but I keep myself available to help out professionally in Family Law Cases as needed. I was a Litigation paralegal for 25 years before I was forced to retire due to a disability. I truly love working with the law and the court so working in Dependency Care keeps my interest fed. As a Florida Registered Paralegal I am required to take Continuing Legal Education Credits and I choose topics that can assist me in Dependency Care for the needs of foster children. Important topics like mental health, learning disabilties, drug abuse and forms of neglect help provide me the tools I need to continue advocating for the children. I have been appointed as a Guardian ad Litem for children from the age of newborn to almost 18. The children who have, aged out of the foster care system, often remain in touch with me and I am honored and thrilled to hear how their lives have turned around to a bright future. I was even asked to officiate (as a Notary Public) for one of my former Guardian ad Litem children at her wedding.
My personal life revolves around my husband, my three children, grandson, two dogs and two cats. My husband is incredibly patient and supportive of my work with foster children and helps me in whatever way I need.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Three qualties that were impactful in my journey are determination; investigation skills; and using my legal knowledge to best advocate for the children. There are many barriers I have to overcome on a daily basis especially when I don’t agree with the agency on the best way to approach a problem or legally protect a child. On occasion there are biological parents, who are terminated from a child’s life and, who refuse to allow their child/ren to heal from the trauma. They continue to contact the child/ren through social media or text despite the court issuing “no contact” orders. I have had to push the court and law enforcement to assign consequences to the biological parents who refuse to let go and let their children have a life of their own in a good home. The use of methamphetamine is the worst factor. There is a tremendous amount of addiction in our area and the biological parents are not able to succesfully enter rehab and move on with their lives. I use my investigation skills learned as a paralegal, on a daily basis to research arrests, prior histories and convictions. I have encountered criminals living in a reunified home with a child and brought it to the attention of Department of Children and Family services who had no idea the person was living in the home.
My team, at the Guardian ad Litem’s office, has routine get togethers outside of work. I offer my advice and support to my fellow Guardian ad Litems who are new to the program or may be confused as to handle a particular situation.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
My husband is the person most helpful to me. Howard is a transaction attorney who works long hours and has his own amount of work related stress but is always there to listen to me and even help find a better way for me to do things. I had a case of four siblings who had to be removed from a foster home due to a form of neglect and the assistant principal of the children asked to become licensed and eventually adopted them. In moving the four children into the home of the principal and her husband they needed beds, dressers and other household items to accomodate the children. I spent quite a bit of time looking at sales and various organizations that could provide the items. The anxiety was significant and I felt that I was going to fail these children. My husband woke me up on a Saturday morning to go out and purchase the needed items. This was done from the goodness of his heart and helped inspire me to keep going.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://galfirstcoast.org
