Code Of Conducts

GUARDIAN AD LITEM CODE OF CONDUCT

The Guardian ad Litem shall:

1. maintain high standards of conduct in carrying out his or her duties and obligations;

2. diligently represent and be guided solely by the best interests of the child;

3. report honestly and impartially to the court on what is in the best interests of the child;

4. respect the privacy of the child and family;

5. hold confidential all information obtained in the course of service as a guardian ad litem, as required by law and these Standards;

6. decline appointment, withdraw, or request assistance when the volunteer recognizes that he or she may not have the time or ability to effectively advocate for a child;

7. affirmatively advise the Program if he or she is charged with or convicted of a criminal offense, or becomes involved in any other court proceeding, as this may cause a conflict of interest or adversely affect the guardian ad litem's ability to effectively advocate for a child;

8. report any new incident of child abuse or neglect to his or her supervisor and the abuse hotline;

9. comply with local circuit Program policies;

10. notify the Program director if the guardian ad litem or any member of the guardian ad litem's immediate family becomes involved in a case with allegations of child abuse or neglect;

11. discuss all recommendations concerning the case with Program staff prior to submitting recommendations to the court;

12. obtain review/approval from Program staff before submitting any document to the court or other parties;

13. monitor the child regularly pursuant to any policies established by the local Program;

14. return identification cards and all case files and related materials to the Program office upon discharge from the case or dismissal from the Program;

15. discuss case progress and guardian ad litem activity at least every sixty (60) days with Program staff and regularly submit case activity sheets; and

16. complete six hours of inservice training annually.

Guardian ad Litem staff and volunteers shall not:

1. take action which:

a. endangers the child, a party, a witness or other person;

b. is outside the powers or role of the guardian ad litem; or

c. Violates state or local law, court rule, Program policy or court or Program procedure;

2. contravene staff or court direction;

3. repeatedly or significantly fail to perform a responsibility as a guardian ad litem;

4. falsify or fail to disclose information on the guardian ad litem application form, misrepresent facts during the screening interview or commit an act which results in a substantial alteration