A proposal to gouge 23 percent and 154 jobs from the budget for court advocates for abused and neglected children could result in more than 5,700 children being dropped, said the state program’s executive director.
Theresa Flury, executive director of Florida’s Guardian ad Litem program, said the recommendations were presented in a House budget committee yesterday, and may be voted on later this week.
“Our only mission is advocating for children,” she said. “We’d make the cut where it would affect the children the least but it’s going to affect the children.”
Flury said 80 percent of its $33 million budget that could be slashed by $7.6 million goes toward representing children. The office relies on 520 employees and 7,000 volunteers.
