GUARDIAN AD LITEM OFFICE, 1ST CIRCUIT- CHILD ADVOCATE MANAGER - 21013927

State of Florida; Alaska; On-site; USD 43,000; Full time

Job summary

The State of Florida is seeking a Child Advocate Manager for the Guardian ad Litem Office. This role involves overseeing volunteers, providing advocacy for children in dependency court, and ensuring the highest standards of child-centered representation. The position offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits.

Benefits

State group insurance coverage options

Flexible spending account

Paid state holidays

Paid personal holiday

Paid sick leave

Paid annual leave

Life insurance provided

Public Loan Forgiveness Program

State tuition waivers

Child Advocate Manager training

Qualifications

• Must possess a valid Florida Driver’s License.
• Two years of experience in child welfare or social services preferred.
• Ability to maintain Child Advocate Manager certification.

Responsibilities

• Oversee a team of Guardian ad Litem volunteers.
• Provide advocacy recommendations to the court.
• Prepare written reports for court proceedings.

Skills

Self-motivated

Strong organizational skills

Excellent oral and written skills

Ability to coach and motivate volunteers

Education

Bachelor's degree in sociology, social work, psychology, or related field

Job description

Agency : Justice Administrative Commission

Working Title : GUARDIAN AD LITEM OFFICE, 1ST CIRCUIT- CHILD ADVOCATE MANAGER - 21013927

Position Number : 21013927

Salary : $42,612.34

Posting Closing Date : 06 / 30 / 2025

STATEWIDE GUARDIAN AD LITEM OFFICE

GUARDIAN AD LITEM CHILD ADVOCATE MANAGER

IMPORTANT! – Please navigate to the following website : www.guardianadlitem.org to apply for this position :

• Click on the “Career Opportunities” icon.
• Scroll down to the link, “Submit Your Guardian ad Litem Office Employment Application Here.”
• Complete the “mini” job application and attach your current resume.
• Select WALTON COUNTY for the job location

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION AND THE OPPORTUNITY

The Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office is Florida’s award-winning, state-funded child advocacy organization that provides independent legal representation to abused, abandoned and neglected children in Florida’s dependency court proceedings. The Office upholds the highest standards of integrity, excellence and child centered representation. The Office assigns a multi-disciplinary team which is comprised of a guardian ad litem attorney, a child welfare professional, and hopefully a community volunteer or pro bono attorney, to represent each child the Office is court appointed to. The Child Advocate Manager serves as the child welfare professional on the multi-disciplinary team and is responsible for overseeing a team of guardian ad litem volunteers for which they assign to serve on individual cases. More information about the Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office can be found at www.guardianadlitem.org .

As an employee with the State of Florida, your benefits are a significant part of your compensation with 19 percent of your total compensation coming from the benefits that the State offers. As a full-time employee, your insurance rate will be significantly low due to the contribution of the State of Florida. In fact, single coverage is as low as $50 per month, with family coverage costing only $180 per month.

While the rates are higher for half-time employees, health insurance options are still available if you are in a salaried position.

BENEFITS OF WORKING FOR THE GUARDIAN AD LITEM OFFICE :

State of Florida Retirement package – Pension or Investment plan (3% employee contribution required)

• State group insurance coverage options, including health, life, dental, vision, and other supplemental insurance options
• Flexible spending account
• Nine paid state holidays each calendar year
• One paid personal holiday each fiscal year
• 13 paid sick leave days accrued within the calendar year
• 13 paid annual leave days accrued within the calendar year with an increase after five years
• Life insurance of $25,000 is provided by the state at no cost to you for all FTE positions. Employees may purchase additional coverage
• Public Loan Forgiveness Program
• State tuition waivers
• Child Advocate Manager training and professional certification with the Florida Certification Board
• No State of Florida income tax for residents of Florida

ABOUT THE WORK

The Child Advocate Manager position encompasses a broad range of consultative, administrative and advocacy activities. The Child Advocate Manager may also supervise a group of Guardian Ad Litem Office Child Advocate volunteers. Some examples of a “typical” working day may include the following :

• Collaborate with the Guardian ad Litem Office multidisciplinary team, management, Department of Children and Families, contracted service providers, Department of Juvenile Justice, Department of Education, Law Enforcement, etc.
• Overseeing the work of Guardian ad Litem Office volunteers.
• Gathering and documenting independent pertinent case information.
• Providing best interests advocacy recommendations to the Guardian ad Litem Office multidisciplinary team, to the court and to our child welfare partners.
• Preparing written reports to the court.
• Provide testimony to the court.
• Attending internal and external case-related court hearings, depositions, case plan conferences, dependency mediations, staffing’s and meetings.
• Visiting and contacting assigned children, parents, caregivers, schools and service providers.
• Utilizing the organization’s database and reporting systems.
• Participating in internal and external training, meetings and conferences.

ABOUT THE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

The following are desirable knowledge, skills, abilities and traits for prospective Child Advocate Manager position candidates :

• Self-motivated and achievement oriented.
• Strong desire to learn and pursue personal development.
• Ability to take direction and work as part of a team.
• Ability to effectively interact with and / or influence people of diverse backgrounds.
• Ability to exercise discretion, respect privacy and maintain confidentiality.
• Strong organizational / time management skills and ability to meet deadlines.
• Excellent oral, written and computer literacy skills.
• Able to maintain a professional and effective demeanor in emotional or traumatic situations.
• Ability to coach, instruct and motivate volunteers.
• Knowledge of case management, social support services and concepts of child development.
• Knowledge of the dynamics of child abuse, domestic violence, substance abuse and mental health.
• Knowledge of the Florida State Courts System.
• Knowledge of Florida Statutes relating to child welfare and protection.

ABOUT THE EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

The following are education and experience requirements for prospective Child Advocate Manager position candidates :

• Must possess a valid Florida Driver’s License.
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a major in sociology, social work, psychology, child development, education, juvenile justice, communications, or a related social science is preferred but prior experience will be considered to meet the degree requirement. Experience could include time as Child Protective Investigator, Dependency Case Manager, Juvenile Probation Officer, Law Enforcement, Military, Educators, or other professional experiences working with children and families.
• Two years of experience in a program focusing on child welfare, social service, counseling, teaching, managing people or supervising volunteers is desired but not required.
• Experience with critical decision making, planning, organizing, coaching, leading, or supervising will be helpful to a successful candidate.
• All individuals hired after February 1, 2020, must be able to obtain a Child Advocate Manager Certification offered by the Florida Certification Board within 12 months of hire date.
• Maintain Child Advocate Manager certification during the duration of employment. Agency pays costs of certification.

Please note : The Executive Director or designee may grant an exception for the required education and experience.)

If you are a retiree of the Florida Retirement System (FRS), please check with the FRS at 1-844-377-1888 on how your current benefits may be affected if you are re-employed with the State of Florida. Your current retirement benefits may be canceled, suspended, or deemed ineligible depending upon the date of your retirement.

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer / Affirmative Action Employer, and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and / or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.