b" of effectiveness and accountability, of individualsThe statewide guardian ad litem is an elegant combinationjoining hands with government to give a voiceto innocent kids who are suffering throughFlorida Trend no fault of their own.Every childneeds a Guardian ad Litem.In 2021, the Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office ended the year representing 91% of the children in the child welfare system under 18 years old.Our top priority is to represent 100% of Florida's abused, neglected, and abandoned children and provide proactive, child-centered representation in the courtroom and the community.Recently, a new funding source was made available through federal Title IV-E funding, which provides an opportunity to represent all children without added state funding. The Guardian ad Litem Office has worked with the Department of Children and Families to maximize the use of this funding, and Statewide Office's FY 2022-23 Legislative Budget Request seeks legislative authority to access and spend these federal dollars.15"