Guardian ad Litem program reports volunteer surge, seeks funding for staff and technology
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Summary
Alex Miller told the committee the Guardian ad Litem program grew volunteers from single-district pilots to 52 active volunteers and aims for 100 by July 1, 2026, but still needs paid staff, supervisory capacity, training and technology support to sustain the expansion.
Alex Miller, interim program administrator for the Guardian ad Litem program, told the House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee that the program has rapidly expanded volunteer recruitment and supervision since legislation last session.
Miller said volunteers increased to 52 active volunteers assigned to about 52 cases (roughly 1.7% of the program’s caseload) and that the program expects two additional volunteer cohorts in April and June 2026 with a target of 100 active volunteers by July 1, 2026. ‘‘We currently have 52 active volunteers,’’ Miller said, and described a plan to onboard cohorts and provide in-person initial training, extended learning paths and virtual-desktop technology to reduce barriers to participation.
Miller provided program scope and workload data: roughly 3,000 total assigned cases, about 2,900 juvenile cases and 459 ICWA cases; the program reports 226 Guardian ad Litem employees and 262 paid staff overall. He said the program has dramatically reduced unassigned cases statewide from a monthly average of about 201 to 53 (a 74% reduction since June 2025) and that Hennepin County saw a 20% increase in timely court reports and child contacts between September and December 2025.
Miller cautioned that scaling volunteers requires supervisory, HR and technology investments; he noted national CASA guideline supervisory ratios (about 30 volunteers per supervisor) and said the program has submitted a change item requesting additional paid staff and higher compensation to improve recruitment and retention. When members asked about volunteer background and training, Miller described a 40-hour initial curriculum and ongoing legal and court-practice trainings provided by the program’s legal team.
Miller also described steps to support volunteers: virtual desktop access to case management, monthly meetings with Minnesota CASA, and targeted retention strategies to reduce early attrition. He said volunteers filed 257 court reports in the prior year and logged approximately 1,610 case-related hours; staff logged 324,785 hours in the case management system over the same reporting period.
The committee took no formal action; Miller said he would provide written materials and dashboards referenced in the presentation.
