LEGAL
CHAMPIONS FOR
THE CHILDREN
BY WENDY DWYER
Gary Tenpas says he has the best volunteer job ever.
18 Port St. Lucie Magazine
ANTHONY INSWASTY PHOTOS
As a Guardian ad Litem volunteer,
Gary Tenpas helps to advocate on
behalf of children who have been
removed from their parents.
Volunteers for state program watch
over young ones in family custody cases
The Port St. Lucie resident is a guardian ad litem
GAL volunteer. Being a GAL allows Tenpas to
help children whose parents or guardians have lost
custody through difficult circumstances. He also works with
families toward reunification and the modern-day equivalent
of happily ever after. It’s not an easy gig, but Tenpas says it’s
the most rewarding one he’s ever had and he’s been volunteering
and giving back throughout his life.
A guardian ad litem volunteer is assigned when the state has
custody of a child. GAL volunteers visit their assigned child
regularly to understand their circumstances, wishes and needs,
and help explain the process so children can understand.
They often advocate on behalf of the children they’ve been
assigned, and because they know the children involved,
GALs like Tenpas often speak in court on behalf of the children
to help the judge make decisions based on what is in the
child’s best interests.
“We represent abused, abandoned, and neglected children
in the courtroom and the community,” explains Melissa Bujeda,
director of communications for the Statewide Guardian
ad Litem Office in Tallahassee. “Through the collaboration of
a multidisciplinary team that includes a GAL, child welfare
professional and hopefully a trained volunteer, our team
provides quality legal representation for the best interests of
abused, neglected, and abandoned children while assisting
the children in expressing their needs and wishes.”
ALL NEEDS ADDRESSED
Bujeda says the office’s unique approach allows them to
support the whole child, addressing physical, educational,
mental, emotional, social, and legal needs. In 2021, the office >>