#15 - A close-up look at Foster Care on the Treasure Coast with Erin Harrigan Ad Litem Attorney

Guardian Ad Litem Attorney Erin Harrigan joins Susan Chesnutt to talk about the inner workings of the Foster Care community in Florida. SUMMARY Guardian Ad Litem Attorney Erin Harrigan joins Susan Chesnutt to talk about the inner workings of the Foster Care community in Florida. Erin discusses the importance and significance of the Guardian ad Litem job and details what it is like to be a Guardian ad Litem volunteer. Susan and Erin also discuss Erin’s experience in foster parenting and its importance to kids that need a temporary family while their parents get help with an issue they are facing. ------------------------------ HIGHLIGHTS [01:11] Guardian ad Litem Attorney Erin Harrigan introduces herself and talks about the Guardian ad Litem job and volunteer program. [08:53] Review of how a Guardian ad Litem interacts with children. [12:58] How the Judicial System and the DCF should handle family law cases. [21:44] Erin Harrigan shares a Heart-Warming and important story about her experience in foster care. [31:50] What is foster care like as a foster parent? [36:08] Description of The Guardian ad Litem volunteer program. [46:00] How should people involved in divorce cases act towards kid witnesses? ------------------------------ QUOTES 9:41 “But as a child, no matter what your parents have ever done to you. It's never going to be bad enough that you don't want to go home. You love your parents. You love them. So you will always say you want to go home” 15:11 “That gets back to a philosophical question, how much power do you want the government to have?” 23:06  “I was living in a home that had three bedrooms and I was like, you know what? I have empty bedrooms and there are kids in need, and so I went through the classes to get certified as a foster parent.” 37:27 “So we need people to volunteer, to come stuff bags with school supplies that we then hand out to the kids, or, we have a big holiday drive where we have to sort the toys or clothes by different age groups, appropriateness, and then also disseminate all of that to everyone” 56:30 “In COVID, we're seeing the decline in the abuse reports that are made, which sounds like a really good thing, except that I think pretty much as a system, we're a little bit nervous that it's because these kids are home bound and nobody sees what's happening.” ------------------------------ RESOURCES Florida Department of Children and Families: https://www.myflfamilies.com/ Guardian ad Litem Volunteer Program Website: https://guardianadlitem.org/about-us/honorary-guardians-ad-litem/ St. Lucie County Court House: https://www.stlucieclerk.com/ Phone: (772)- 462-6900 Friends and Children of Brevard: https://www.friendsofchildrenofbrevard.org/ Voices for Children : https://voicesforchildrenotc.org/ Voices for Children Phone Number: (772) 785-5804 Volunteer Recruit of Voices for Children, Nicole Hughes: [email protected] https://www.thechesnuttlawfirm.com/ https://www.thechesnuttlawfirm.com/dcf-investigations-lawyer/ https://www.thechesnuttlawfirm.com/child-custody/