eral Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act of 1974, and in 1980, the Florida Legislature appropriated funds to the Office of the State Courts Administration to begin a pilot program to examine the feasibility and effectiveness of using volunteers as GAL (Program, 2004). The study suggested using volunteers in this role was feasible, and in subsequent years, the Legislature provided funding for GAL programs in every circuit through a volunteer model.
In Washington, Judge David Soukup began experimenting with volunteers in the role of GAL in 1977 based on his desire to have more information on the cases before him in the court (Guardian ad Litem History, 2004). In 1984, the National Court Appointed Special Advocates Association (NCASAA) was established to provide technical assistance and support for existing and developing GAL programs to ensure that children were receiving quality representation in the courts by these volunteers. The same year, South Carolina established one of the first state-funded Programs in the nation for using volunteers as GAL, following the lead of Judge Soukup and other jurisdictions.
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