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Shortage of Voluteers to Assist Abused Children

http://66.225.205.104/JR20080818.mp3

Child abuse and neglect cases are on the rise in North Carolina, which has led to a shortage of volunteer advocates who represent the interests of those children in court. These volunteers are known as Guardians Ad Litem, and right now barely half of children in state custody in Mecklenburg County have one to look out for them in court. The other children are assigned to a handful of state attorneys with dozens of cases on their desks and little time for true advocacy. WFAE's Julie Rose spoke with the county's Guradian Ad Litem administrator Dana Frady about the implications of this volunteer shortage. Web Extra: Longer interview with Dana Frady. Listen For information about volunteering as a Guardian Ad Litem, contact Dana Frady at 704-417-1853.