Guardian ad Litem Program

The Guardian ad Litem (GAL) Program prepares attorneys to provide legal representation to abused and neglected children throughout the state. The Administrative Office of the Courts has overseen the GAL Program since 1999. The goal of the program is to produce highly qualified guardians ad litem by offering training sessions, providing educational materials and serving as a comprehensive resource.

More than 6,000 Kentucky children are in state custody because they have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect. Federal and state laws mandate that these children be placed in permanent homes. Guardians ad litem play an important role in ensuring that children receive fair and expeditious attention from the judicial system and are placed in appropriate homes in a timely manner.

Each year the the AOC and the Cabinet for Health and Family Services offer a Guardian ad Litem Training Seminar at several locations throughout Kentucky. The seminar gives attorneys for children an overview of Kentucky statutory and case law. The training also focuses on the federal law that requires reasonable efforts to keep families together and provide children with safe and permanent homes. The program is free and offers 6.5 credit hours of continuing legal education, which includes 1 credit hour of ethics.