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Guardian ad Litem warns cuts would disrupt child representation as subcommittee reviews $12 million budget
Summary
The Guardian ad Litem (GAL) office told the appropriations subcommittee that proposed reductions — including 1.5 attorney FTEs and a CASA coordinator — could affect hundreds of children and hundreds of hearings; the director urged holding positions vacant rather than cutting funded slots.
The Utah Appropriations Subcommittee heard testimony on Wednesday from Gary Sifu of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst and Stacy Snyder, director of the Office of Guardian ad Litem and CASA, about the office’s budget and the likely effect of proposed reductions.
Snyder described the office as a statewide operation that employs roughly 50 Guardian ad Litem attorneys within an approximately $12,000,000 appropriation and provides statewide CASA (court‑appointed special advocate) coordination and training. “We are an office, a statewide office that is housed within the judiciary,” she said, and emphasized that most…
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