Letter from Our President

When I started my career as an attorney, I never thought I would end up working in the child welfare arena. Quite frankly, I didn’t realize it existed. However, a couple years spent in a commercial litigation firm made me reassess why I became an attorney. It was to help those less fortunate and to make a lasting difference in someone’s life.

In 2009, I became an Attorney with the Florida Guardian ad Litem Program. I subsequently worked at Children’s Legal Services, the legal arm of the Florida Department of Children and Families for almost a decade where I prosecuted the parents of abandoned, abused, and neglected children in the Twelfth (12th) Judicial Circuit. I started my own practice in 2017 initially advocating for special needs children. My practice has evolved over time to include the representation of parents in the dependency system, but my commitment to kids remains steadfast.

These children have woken up to find their lives completely in disarray. Many times they are with an unfamiliar caregiver, must change schools, and may be separated from their siblings. Children’s Guardian Fund seeks to bring a bit of normalcy back into their lives during this difficult timeframe and to go beyond when possible to enrich their lives with birthday gifts, academic awards, music, etc.

In DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota counties alone, we have approximately 1,000 children who have been abandoned, abused, and/or neglected to the extent where the court has removed them from their primary home. When a neighbor or relative comes forward to take care of an abandoned newborn, Children’s Guardian Fund wants to be sure that newborn has a crib. For children who find themselves needing a bit more academic help to remain on the same level as their peers or to catch up to the appropriate level, Children’s Guardian Fund is there to provide the tutoring. If a child makes the soccer team and the family needs assistance for team uniforms, cleats, or other gear, Children’s Guardian Fund wants to make sure those items are taken care of so the child can participate on the school team. Even during the summer, Children’s Guardian Fund wants to ensure children get to have fun at summer camps while also providing some respite time for their caregivers.

Serving as President of the Children’s Guardian Fund is both an honor and a significant responsibility. We are fortunate to have a dedicated staff, a volunteer Board, amazing partners in the community, generous donors and community foundations, and a tireless group of child advocates to work with to ascertain the needs of our kids and provide for them in this unprecedented time of their lives.

Please join me in making my term as President the most productive and successful one it can be for the sake of our kids.

Andrew Chiang
Children’s Guardian Fund President