COUNTY — Dial DuBose says the best thing that’s happened to him as a volunteer Guardian ad Litem is his relationship with the children he serves, especially the younger ones.

“My guys” he calls them, and it’s important that they can depend on him.

“I want that child to know if he has nothing else, he’s got me,” DuBose said.

DuBose, as a local businessperson, joined the Cass Elias McCarter Guardian ad Litem program in 2012.

“It was a short and sweet case, but it gave me confidence, and I had the realization that this was not going to be a difficult job,” he said of his first case.

DuBose currently advocates for six children in the foster care system. His strongest belief about being a child advocate is that it is “a necessity.”

“It’s a necessity that the right people are doing it and doing it the right way,” he said. “There was an obvious need, and it was a job that needed qualified people.”

He was most surprised in working on his cases about how well received he was.

“To all the stakeholders, I think that everybody, including the parents, values the fact and recognize the need for the child to have their own advocate,” DuBose said. “I felt well received and well respected.”

DuBose’s message to people considering becoming a volunteer is that “you can have an impact. You can make a huge difference in not only the child’s life, but also the parents.”

If you are interested in learning more about the Cass Elias McCarter Guardian ad Litem Program, contact Brigitte Stephens at (864) 878-0807 or bstephens@oepp.sc.gov. The next training for Guardian ad Litem volunteers starts Oct. 7.

Applications can be downloaded at www.scgal.org.