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Guardian ad Litem office says it represents nearly 100 children in county; small budget increase tied to shared admin costs
Summary
The circuit Guardian ad Litem director told commissioners the office currently serves just under 100 children in Okeechobee County and that a small administrative cost increase in the shared four‑county budget covers technology and utility reallocations.
Heather Parker, the circuit director for Guardian ad Litem serving Okeechobee County, told commissioners her office represents "a little under a 100" children in the dependency system and has assigned an attorney, case manager and volunteer to every child in dependency cases.
Parker said the fiscal 2025–26 increase in the Guardian ad Litem budget was small and primarily administrative: the circuit’s office is located in Saint Lucie County and the county’s share increased slightly because Saint Lucie reassessed shared utilities and technology costs. She emphasized the program’s role in representing children removed from homes due to abuse, abandonment or neglect and thanked commissioners for support.
Commissioners praised the work and asked no substantive changes to the budget at workshop time. The presentation did not propose new county staffing for the office; Parker asked that commissioners continue support for the funded positions that allow the office to be on all dependency cases in the county.
